Ambulance Victoria paramedics and first responders are reaching critically ill patients faster in Bairnsdale, with new figures showing significant improvements in emergency response times and hospital clearing times across the Gippsland region.
The latest Ambulance Victoria performance data revealed Bairnsdale recorded one of the strongest improvements in the state for Code 1 emergency response times during the first three months of 2026. Paramedics attended 76 per cent of Code 1 patients within 15 minutes between January and March, up from 72.3 per cent during the same period last year – marking the second-biggest improvement recorded statewide.
Gippsland Regional Director Ross Salathiel said improved response times were being driven by crews spending less time delayed at hospitals and returning to the road more quickly after patient handovers.
“The quicker response times are thanks to the incredible efforts of our hard-working crews who are clearing hospital more than 10 minutes faster than a year ago,” Mr Salathiel said.
Hospital clearing times — the period between paramedics handing a patient over to hospital staff and becoming available for another emergency — have improved significantly across Gippsland. The regional average dropped from 27.7 minutes between January and March 2025 to 17.2 minutes during the same period in 2026. Across the region, crews attended 6102 Code 1 emergencies during the quarter.
Statewide, emergency ambulance crews responded to 66.4 per cent of Code 1 cases within the target time of 15 minutes, up from 65.1 per cent in the previous quarter.
Executive Director Regional Operations Michael Georgiou said new Standards for Safe and Timely Ambulance and Emergency Care, introduced last year, were helping improve hospital handover performance across Victoria. He also noted Ambulance Victoria’s Triage Services team was reducing pressure on emergency crews by connecting 49,508 people who did not need an emergency ambulance with more appropriate care. Medium Acuity Transport Service crews are similarly freeing up ambulances for the most critically ill patients.
Mr Salathiel encouraged East Gippsland residents to use appropriate urgent care services where possible to keep ambulances available for life-threatening emergencies, and urged residents to protect themselves against influenza ahead of another busy winter period.
