General News
20 February, 2026
Improvement in response times
AMBULANCE Victoria (AV) paramedics and first responders are getting back on the road faster and improving response times thanks to a significant drop in clearing times in the Barwon South West Region, which includes the Corangamite Local Government Area (LGA).
Hospital clearing times are the duration between an ambulance crew completing their patient handover and being available to attend another case.
The Corangamite LGA saw the third best improvement for paramedic response times, attending 42.1 per cent of Code One patients, requiring an emergency lights and sirens response, within 15 minutes – up from 34.4 per cent in the previous quarter.
As a result, the average Code One response time decreased by one minute and six seconds.
The Barwon South West region average clearing time has dropped from 30.1 minutes between January and March 2025 to 22.6 minutes between October and December 2025.
In the Barwon South West region, paramedics and first responders responded to 7395 Code One cases between October and December 2025.
Barwon South West regional director Jessica McGowan said in the Barwon South West region, the average hospital clearing times dropped by more than seven minutes last year.
“Every small improvement – from more efficient hospital handovers to quicker clearing times – adds up to better care for all Victorians,” she said.
“We are extremely proud of our crews who through dedication and teamwork have made remarkable improvements to hospital clearing times and are returning to the community faster.”
The latest ambulance performance data for October to December 2025 has shown improvements statewide and in 49 Local Government Areas (LGAs).
During the October to December quarter across Victoria, AV crews responded to 65.1 per cent of Code One cases within the state-wide target of 15 minutes – up from 64.1 per cent in the previous quarter.
The state-wide average response time to Code One emergencies was 15 minutes and 40 seconds – six seconds faster than the previous quarter.
AV responded to 100,292 Code One emergencies across Victoria during the October to December quarter – slightly down on the previous quarter but still the third highest on record.
“Despite this demand, we continue to lead the way in pre-hospital patient care, including the best cardiac arrest survival rates in Australia and third best anywhere in the world,” Ms McGowan said.
AV acting executive director regional operations Michael Georgiou said AV was working closely with hospitals, emergency services and government partners to keep patients moving through the system as quickly as possible and get ambulances back on the road sooner.
“If you need help but it’s not life-threatening, we encourage you to consider the most appropriate care for your situation,” he said.
“AV paramedics and first responders are focused on reaching the sickest patients first — but every day, about one in five calls to Triple Zero (000) do not need an emergency ambulance response.
“Getting the right care at the right time can make a big difference.
“There are many options people can access when they need timely medical care and health advice, at any time of the night or day – but not an emergency ambulance or calling Triple Zero (000) – including the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department and Nurse-on-Call.
“Local urgent care clinics, GPs and pharmacists are also great options.”
Mr Georgiou said AV’s Triage Services team — staffed by nurses and paramedics — also plays a vital role by connecting people with the right care and freeing up ambulances for life-threatening emergencies.
“From October to December, 49,737 people who did not need an emergency ambulance were instead connected to more appropriate care by paramedics and nurses in triage services,” he said.
In a life-threatening emergency always call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
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