By Gabriella Payne
As the Omicron wave of Covid continues to sweep the state, Victoria’s inundated emergency health workers are reminding community members to save Triple Zero calls for emergencies only, as an unprecedented number of calls continue to flood the system.
The Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) has seen a dramatic increase in the number of calls for an ambulance recently as Covid continues to spread – with current ambulance calls averaging 3000 a day, as compared to 2400 a day in August last year.
According to ESTA, more than one in five of the current Triple Zero calls being made for an ambulance do not need an emergency response, and instead could be assisted by other services – helping take some of the pressure off paramedics and emergency call responders.
An ESTA spokesperson said that while it could be alarming to experience delays in an emergency, operators were doing their best and other forms of help were out there for people with less urgent needs.
“Our triple zero operators care deeply about the service they provide and the community they serve; any delays are unacceptable and we understand callers facing delays could be incredibly distressed,“ the spokesperson said.
“More than one-in-five calls to triple zero for an ambulance do not need an emergency ambulance response, and we ask the community to please save triple zero for emergencies and to use Nurse on Call where appropriate.“
ESTA believes this increased demand is due to a number of factors, many spurring from the Covid-19 pandemic (including the cumulative impacts of people delaying everyday medical assistance since the start of the pandemic, an increase in mental health related emergencies and the general increased pressure on the health system in recent months to name a few).
An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson echoed ESTA’s sentiments and reinforced the message that most people with Covid-19 would not require an ambulance or care in hospital at all.
“The global Covid-19 pandemic continues to have a significant and unprecedented impact on the entire health system, in Victoria and right across Australia,“ the spokesperson said.
“What is of concern is that we are seeing a significant increase in calls from people with Covid-19 symptoms, many who do not require emergency care at all.
“These calls are being managed by our Secondary Triage Service, which is handling more than 1000 cases a day – freeing up more ambulances for the sickest patients,“ they said.
Thanks to funding from the state government, ESTA is recruiting 43 new full-time equivalent (FTE) call-taking, dispatch and mental health support roles this year, all of which should be filled within the coming months and help ease some of the pressure on the system – but community members were still being asked to assess their situation before dialling Triple Zero.
