Ambulance Victoria chief executive Tony Walker said paramedics or registered nurses now asked a series of questions of less-urgent triple zero callers to find out more information about an individual’s health issue and explore alternative options to emergency ambulance.

“This can include sending non-emergency transport, connecting patients with a doctor or pharmacist, or providing health advice to treat conditions safely at home,” he said.

Acting regional director Chris James said the change in operations meant response times had improved in Horsham. 

“Our ambulances are more available to respond more quickly to people who need our help, especially those who are seriously ill, since we have changed the way triple zero calls are triaged and ambulances dispatched,” he said.

“By better assessing the individual needs of our patients we are able to provide those patients the most appropriate response and ensure ambulances are available for emergencies.”

Mr James said in Horsham, paramedics responded to 94.3 per cent of code one cases within 15 minutes in the final three months of 2017. “This is the fifth quarter in a row above 90 per cent and a 4.1 per cent improvement on the same time last year," he said.

“The average response time of nine minutes and five seconds was a 42-second improvement on the same period a year earlier.”

Mr James said for the wider Horsham Rural City municipality, ambulances arrived at 85.7 per cent of code one cases within 15 minutes, compared with 81.8 per cent a year earlier.

“Performance data is typically open to fluctuation in parts of the state that have small code one caseloads combined with a relatively small population across a large geographic area,” he said.

Associate Professor Walker said it was important for the public to be confident that triple zero calls were being appropriately assessed..

“Victorians can be assured that when they call triple zero and they need an emergency ambulance they will get one and they will get it more quickly, especially those people who are in a time-critical and life-threatening emergency,” he said.

“Changes we have made to our triage system have been independently assessed, oversighted and examined by medical experts.

“The changes have now been in place for 16 months and are leading to better patient outcomes and more lives being saved. 

“We have had the best patient outcomes ever.”