Latest quarterly statistics from Ambulance Victoria (AV) show hundreds of people in Sunbury needing urgent medical attention are waiting longer than recommended for help to arrive. This follows a special report Sunbury Life published earlier this year highlighting the state of local ambulance services.
AV’s acting executive director of regional operations Michael Georgiou said that between July and September, demand for code 1 lights-and-sirens ambulances across Victoria increased by 2.8% compared with the previous quarter.
In Sunbury, just 50% of the 592 triple-zero calls during the three-month period had a paramedic arrive within 15 minutes – AV’s target is 90%.
The average response time was 17 minutes 57 seconds – slightly slower than the same period in 2024, when there were 653 code 1 calls and the average response time was 17 minutes 38 seconds.
For less urgent code 2 calls that do not require a lights-and-sirens response, AV statistics show there were 282 calls from Sunbury during the three-month period. The average response time for these calls has improved, dropping from 45 minutes to 41 minutes. AV’s target time is 25 minutes.
“Winter consistently brings the highest emergency call volumes, and this year was no exception,” Mr Georgiou said.
“We are incredibly proud of our highly skilled paramedics and first responders for the exceptional care they provide to their communities – all day, every day.”