Lawyers move on triple-0 delays

MASS legal action is looming against Victoria’s embattled triple-0 services as lawyers say the number of victims of overly delayed responses could run into thousands.

Slater and Gordon Lawyers is considering class action into “systemic failings” of the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority’s ambulance call-handling operations with fatal consequences.

It claims its investigations, dating to 2014, suggest thousands of emergency callers have experienced avoidable and unacceptable delays.

Those cases come on top of reports at least 15 people, including children, have died since October 2021 as calls to triple-0 went unanswered.

The findings of an investigation by former top cop Graham Ashton were released last week. The state government says it will accept his 20 recommendations to overhaul ESTA and will rebrand it as “Triple-0 Victoria”.

But Slater and Gordon class actions senior associate Gemma Leigh-Dodds claimed systemic failures dated much further back, with records revealing ESTA failed to meet minimum statutory benchmarks for dispatch ambulances to the most urgent cases from 2016-21.

“ESTA’s critical role means its shortcomings are not just unfortunate, we believe they have led to multiple deaths and injuries that could have been prevented,” she said.

“We believe ESTA has breached its statutory and common law obligations by not providing its required service when callers expect to be connected to urgent medical help in a timely manner.”

Ambulance Victoria acting chief Libby Murphy on Friday told parliament’s public accounts and estimates committee 21 deaths linked to critical delays were being investigated, including 18 thought to be the responsibility of ESTA.