Released 30/01/2018
Despite increasing demand for emergency services in Canberra, the ACT has recorded the best response times in the country according to the latest report on the delivery of government services.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services Mick Gentleman said that for the sixth year in a row, ACT Ambulance Service response times are the best in the country, and for the second year in a row ACT Fire & Rescue is the fastest responder to structure fire nationally.
“The ACT community should have the highest confidence in the performance of their ambulance and fire services,” Minister Gentleman said.
“The results are a credit to the professionalism and dedication of the women and men of both services, and the wider ACT Emergency Services Agency,” he said.
The report showed increased demand for ambulance services meant response times were seconds slower than last financial year. However, additional frontline resources hitting the road this year will ensure response times remain the fastest.
These new staff will help ACTAS meet its aspirational target of having 10 ambulance crews at the ready at any one time, and a further two ambulances available during peak periods. During periods of low demand ACTAS operates with fewer than 10 crews, for example night shifts during the middle of the working week. In 2016-17 ACTAS operated approximately 427 shifts with 10 or more crews, and 303 shifts with fewer than 10; in the first six months of the 2017-18 financial year ACTAS operated 368 shifts with 10 or more crews, and 127 shifts with fewer than 10 crews. The recruitment of 23 new paramedics announced in December last year will help ACTAS work towards achieving this target in coming years. This is in addition to the recruitment of 11 paramedics currently underway.
“The ACT Government is committed to additional frontline resources that will aim to meet continued increases in demand,” Minister Gentleman said.
“Patient satisfaction is also important, and the annual Ambulance Patient Satisfaction Survey shows the ACT Ambulance Service consistently meets community expectation.”
The report, published by the Productivity Commission, uses emergency incidents attended by the ACT Ambulance Service, ACT Fire & Rescue, ACT Rural Fire Service and the ACT State Emergency Services for the period commencing 1 July 2016 and concluding on 30 June 2017.
- Statement ends -
Mick Gentleman, MLA | Media Releases