Early signs priority care clinic is easing Ballarat emergency pressure

Grampians Health and UFS, which runs the new clinic, said one month in was too early to measure how much the Ballarat Priority Primary Care Clinic was easing pressure on Ballarat Base Hospital's emergency department. But gradually awareness was changing.

Grampians Health confirmed to The Courier wait times in the Base emergency department continued to be high.

This is the continued effects of COVID-19 pandemic strain, with resourcing issues and increasing presentations, felt on top otherwise regular emergency department challenges.

The Courier reported in late July that morning waits in the Base emergency department were the longest in the state.

The UFS priority clinic has treated almost 1000 patients in its first month of operation and stepped up its service with extended hours this month, 10am to 10pm every day, ahead of expected Christmas and school holiday injury rises.

For 10-year-old Harry, a visit to Ballarat Priority Primary Care Clinic meant a quick turn-around in treatment for a "blue and wonky" looking toe that turned out to be broken.

Harry had been running away from his sister down the hallway in his house when he banged his toe against the side of the door.

He said getting care did not take long and the doctor was really nice.

"Mum suggested dad take me here," Harry told The Courier. "We sat down in the waiting room and they came and looked at my toe and weren't sure if it was broken or not. I went to get an X-ray and they sent me back here.

"The doctor strapped my toe to the other one next to it and I went to get a moon boot."

He was home and in a moon boot within three hours.

The clinic, based at the UFS Medical practice site in Windermere Street, within the hospital precinct, triages patients.

Free care, including for those without a Medicare card, is for lower category emergencies such as basic fractures, like Harry's toe, cuts requiring stitches, burns, animal bites, mild respiratory conditions and gastroenteritis.

Patients requiring emergency care or experiencing life-threatening conditions, or anyone unsure, are still urged to first visit the Base emergency department. Triage staff in both the clinic and emergency department cross-refer.

Patients with non-urgent care are redirected to their regular general practitioner.

UFS primary care operations manager Danielle Trezise said GPs were also starting to refer to the priority care clinic for more urgent cases and data collection was underway to also measure this.

This also comes as universal bulk billing clinics in Ballarat tighten in the wake of Tristar Medical Group acquisitions.

Of the two Ballarat-based Tristar clinics, Sturt Street has closed and Sebastopol operates under the Family Doctor franchise, no longer with universal bulk billing.

Family Doctor managing director Rod Aziz told The Courier "rapidly rising costs", like many Australian general practices, meant the clinic had to charge some patients to remain open and viable.

Dr Aziz said the clinic was continuing to offer bulk billing services to the most vulnerable community members, such as pension card holders, those with a health care card and children aged under 16.

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Meanwhile, a Grampians Health statement read:

"We are confident that the PPCC [priority primary care clinic] will continue to complement our efforts to provide quality and timely care for our community. We continue to encourage those with an injury or ailment that needs attention, but not an emergency response, to continue utilising the Ballarat PPCC."

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