AMBULANCE response times significantly improved during the first quarter of 2022/23 in the Swan Hill municipality compared to the previous three-month period, but remained below the average targets.
More than 65 per cent of Code One incidents were responded to within the target of 15 minutes between July 1 and September 30.
The response time target is within 15 minutes for 85 per cent of incidents.
The average response time in the Swan Hill local government area was 16 minutes, three seconds, with 346 call outs reported.
Ambulance Victoria released the data before the caretaker period, but wasn't able to respond to questions following conventions being put in place in the lead-up to the state election.
A spokesperson referred The Guardian to a statement from Ambulance Victoria executive director of clinical operations Anthony Carlyon, who said demand for ambulance services remained at record levels for the first quarter of 2022/23 due to the continued impacts of COVID-19 and the flu.
"July to September was our busiest first quarter on record, and the second busiest quarter ever," Mr Carlyon said.
"Together with the previous quarter, this was by far the busiest and most challenging winter ever. Our paramedics and first responders worked tirelessly to keep delivering world-class care.
Mr Carlyon said before the COVID-19 pandemic, Ambulance Victoria recorded its best-ever response performance of 83.9 per cent of Code 1 cases responded to within 15 minutes.
"We’ve since continued to respond to unprecedented demand," he said.
"We’re working hard to relieve pressure across the health system with more paramedics on the road, more resources at 14 hospitals state-wide to help offload patients faster and our MATS crews providing high-quality care to less-urgent cases."
Mr Carlyon said to help meet record demand, Ambulance Victoria recruited 700 paramedics in 2021 – its single largest annual recruitment ever.
"Our record recruiting continues in 2022, with 567 new recruits already joining our ranks so far this year, which includes 227 more paramedics across regional Victoria," Mr Carlyon said.
Member for Northern Victoria Tania Maxwell said the near half-a-billion-dollar investment surge in Ambulance Victoria and emergency despatch services was failing communities in almost every Northern Victorian local government area.
The Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party member said Ambulance Victoria performance data for July-September quarter showed the service on average got to a Code One call-out patient inside its 15-minute target in just two of the 27 local council areas in her electorate.
"Compared with the June quarter, much the same data is showing up in every respect," Ms Maxwell said.
"It isn’t safe. Performance has worsened in Towong, Loddon, Yarrriambiack, Murrindindi, Gannawarra, Alpine and Campaspe.
"Country people are only too well aware of the reality and tyranny of distance. But the hundreds of millions of dollars pumped into Ambulance Victoria, recruitment and more emergency despatchers in the past six months is not changing our communities’ expectations and experience for the better."