Use of Warrnambool’s hard-won air ambulance helicopter service (HEMS 4) is on the rise, fresh Ambulance Victoria data shows.
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In the 2016 to 2017 financial year, the HEMS 4 team attended 282 emergency incidents, making it the busiest year in four years.
Ambulance Victoria air operations manager Anthony De Wit said the introduction of a new helicopter model at the beginning of last year led to the team’s increased capacity to respond to tasks.
“Our Warrnambool-based air ambulance helicopter continues to have a significant and positive impact on the health and survival outcomes for patients in the region,” he said.
“This ensures rural communities have rapid access to the highest level of specialist care, particularly for severe trauma patients as part of the state trauma system.”
Mr De Wit said paramedics had responded to 35 extra tasks compared with the previous year.
The air ambulance service began in 2009 after over a decade of campaigning.
Road ambulance response times improved slightly across the Warrnambool, Moyne and Corangamite local government areas, however, the latter two still lagged.
In Warrnambool, 90.2 per cent of code one incidents were responded to within 15 minutes, exceeding the 90 per cent target and making it the second-highest performing council area in the state.
Moyne recorded a rate of 41.8 per cent, while Corangamite saw a rate of 42.5 per cent.