News

Statement re Ambulance Transfers

Mar 13, 2014

Mildura Base Hospital chief executive Dane Huxley said all patients arriving by ambulance between one and two p.m. on Monday were admitted efficiently and as quickly as possible.

Mr Huxley said three of the ambulances had remained only marginally over the usual maximum handover timeframes, despite an unusually busy hour for the hospital.

Mr Huxley said hospital records showed six Rural Ambulance Victoria vehicles arrived at the hospital over a one-hour period.

"It's clearly not possible to unload them all at the same time, and with an additional 14 patients walking into the Emergency Department during that hour, staff did well," Mr Huxley said.

"We generally don't have ambulance ramping problems in Mildura.

"It was certainly a busy moment in the hospital – but this is the nature of the provision of emergency health services."