Ambulance Victoria (AV) has improved its response times to code one emergencies within the Mansfield Shire. The latest statistics released last week indicate AV responded to 140 code one emergencies in the municipality from April to the end of June this year, arriving within the optimal 15 minutes 44.3 per cent of the time. This was up on the previous quarter and marks a notable improvement over last year’s result for the same period. The average response time for Mansfield was 25.34 minutes. AV also responded to 99 code two emergencies in the shire during the quarter, with an average response time of 50.44 minutes. Across the Hume region, the biggest quarterly improvements were recorded in the Moira, Wangaratta, Strathbogie and Greater Shepparton LGAs. In the Moira LGA, paramedics attended 55.0 per cent of code one patients within 15 minutes. In the Rural City of Wangaratta, paramedics attended 71.5 per cent of code one patients within 15 minutes, with an average response time of 15.18 minutes. In the Strathbogie LGA, paramedics attended 35.2 per cent of code one patients within 15 minutes, while in Greater Shepparton, the figure was 70.8 per cent. AV is urging people not to be complacent, with demand for emergency ambulances climbing again as winter illnesses spread through the community. “We’ve already seen a 3.7 per cent jump in code one demand since the first three months of 2025,” Hume regional director Narelle Capp said. “Winter is always our busiest time. "Our paramedics are focused on reaching the sickest patients first, but every day more than 500 calls to Triple Zero (000) don’t need an emergency ambulance. “There are many options people can access when they need timely medical care and health advice but don’t need an emergency ambulance, including the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department and Urgent Care Clinics. “Our expert Secondary Triage team — made up of nurses and paramedics — plays a vital role by connecting people with the right care and freeing up ambulances for life-threatening emergencies. "Between April and June alone, they redirected 46,015 non-urgent cases away from an emergency response.” Ms Capp said Ambulance Victoria is working closely with hospitals, emergency services and government partners to keep ambulances on the road and patients moving through the system.
