Major milestone for Ambulance Victoria’s Secondary Triage

Ambulance Victoria’s Secondary Triage team is celebrating 20 years connecting Triple Zero (000) callers to the best care for them and freeing up more ambulances for the sickest patients.

Executive Director Operational Communications Lindsay Mackay said the team, established in 2003, was now the largest of its type in any ambulance service in the world.

“Since 2016, we have connected nearly 1 million Triple Zero (000) callers to alternative care that better meets their needs or provided self-care advice in the comfort of their home, avoiding a trip to hospital,” Ms Mackay said.

“While ambulances are always provided to patients when required, about one in five calls to Triple Zero (000) do not need an emergency ambulance response.”

From January to March this year, 37,825 callers to Triple Zero (000) did not need an emergency ambulance and were instead connected by specialist clinicians in Secondary Triage to more appropriate care.

Ms Mackay said the Secondary Triage team operates round-the-clock to help with less urgent calls.

“That results in 500 or more cases every day being safely matched to services that better suit their needs,” Ms Mackay said.

“As a result, we are safely avoiding sending an emergency ambulance to around 20 per cent of calls to Triple Zero (000).

“This means we are freeing up more ambulance crews to get to patients facing critical emergencies, faster.”

Ms Mackay said the Secondary Triage team started with just a handful of people and since 2021 has tripled in size to respond to increasing demand.

“We now have a massive team of more than 270 registered nurses and paramedics who are highly trained experts in determining the most appropriate healthcare for patients,” Ms Mackay said.

“They all have at least four years’ experience working in healthcare. They will be able to assess your condition and determine the right care for you.

“Depending on your condition, we may still send an emergency ambulance or connect you to alternative care options such as non-emergency transport, a doctor or pharmacist, or provide health advice to safely treat your condition at home.

“Some people hesitate to call 000 because they’re not sure if their situation is an emergency. If in doubt, always call 000.

“If you do get transferred to Secondary Triage, it is important to know that you are in safe and expert hands.”

Ms Mackay said Ambulance Victoria has evolved into a leading modern health service, continuously improving through innovative new ways of working to ensure our patients get the right care at the right time, in the right place. We are more than just lights and sirens.

“The right care isn’t always an emergency ambulance response,” Ms Mackay said.

“Our expert Secondary Triage team is making a real difference connecting patients with the care they need.”

Ms Mackay said this winter we again urge the community to help our paramedics, first responders and hospitals by saving Triple Zero (000) for emergencies and accessing alternative care options.

“This is to ensure the sickest Victorians receive life-saving care,” Ms Mackay said.

“Time is critical in a medical emergency and if paramedics are tied up with non-emergency calls, they are not available to respond to situations where an ambulance could mean the difference between life and death.”

There are lots of places to get health advice – that isn’t 000. If it is non-life-threatening, there are other options:

GPs and pharmacists can provide timely non-urgent care.

Nurse-On-Call is a great service and offers free medical advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - the number for Nurse-On-Call is 1300 60 60 24.

The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department.

For more minor ailments, visit your local Priority Primary Care Centre.

Visit your local GP respiratory clinic.