Sunbury Priority Primary Care Centre (PPCC) received a visit by the Acting Minister for Health on July 4, to celebrate its opening in late June.
The PPCC opened on Tuesday, June 27, and is the 27th centre to open and operate across the state, with nine operating in regional Victoria.
The Sunbury PPCC in Goonawarra operates seven days a week, including after hours and on public holidays, which Acting Health Minister Gabrielle Williams said will take pressure off emergency departments.
“With 100,000 Victorians getting care at a [PPCC] – we’re diverting thousands of Victorians from an emergency department, taking pressure off our nurses and doctors,” Ms Williams said.
“We’ve stepped in and delivered 27 [PPCC’s] because too many Victorians can’t get in to see their [general practitioner] (GP) when they need to.”
Sunbury MP Josh Bull also visited the Sunbury PPCC and said it is a fast and free alternative to an emergency department.
“The new Sunbury PPCC will provide a fast and free alternative for our community helping locals avoid waiting at an emergency department or for an appointment with a GP,” Mr Bull said.
All PPCCs are free for Victorians, with or without a Medicare card, and most clinics are accepting walk-ins and pre-booked appointments.
The PPCCs are staffed by highly qualified GPs and nurses who can treat a range of conditions that require urgent attention, but not a hospital-led response.
The service is helping to relieve pressure on hospital resources with more than half PPCC patients reporting that they would have attended an emergency department if the service was not available.
Zoe Moffatt
