Patient, aged 97, relieved to avoid lengthy trip to emergency department

Alwyn Bell was recently cared for at the Timboon Urgent Care Centre (UCC) after experiencing a fainting episode.

She said being able to receive treatment locally made a big difference.

"I don't drive so it was much easier for me not to have to travel to Warrnambool and much easier to get home," she said.

"Being able to go to my local hospital was much more convenient and the staff took great care of me."

There's been a noticeable increase in patients at the town's UCC following the introduction of the state's Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED).

The department launched in late 2022 to provide around the clock free, specialist medical care for anyone with non-urgent illnesses or injuries, from the comfort of their own home.

While in a physical emergency department non-urgent patients are naturally pushed to the back of the queue and sometimes have to wait for hours to be seen, in the VVED it usually takes less than 15 minutes to be assessed by a nurse and another 15 to see a specialist emergency doctor.

Ambulance Victoria Timboon team manager Andrew Berry said the introduction of the VVED allowed more patients to be transported and treated in their home town.

UCCs provide care in rural communities for illnesses and injuries that are urgent, but not life-threatening.

"VVED connects UCC staff with emergency doctors, providing patients with the expert care they need quicker, and avoiding a trip to hospital which can take an ambulance out of the community for several hours," he said.

"We know that for many of our patients, especially the elderly, getting medical care in their own community and not spending time waiting in emergency departments is the best outcome."

VVED, which started as a pilot in Melbourne's north in October 2020 before being rolled out statewide in April 2022, has provided clinical assessments, medical advice, treatment and local referrals to more than 256,000 patients.

Paramedics have referred more than 56,000 patients to the VVED since its roll-out, while a further 5,400 have been referred following assessment by Ambulance Victoria's Secondary Triage team.

Timboon and District Healthcare Service (TDHS) director of clinical services Larissa Barclay said it was fantastic to see a significant increase in presentations.

"We want all community members to know about this important service, that it's available 24 hours, seven days a week with no need to call ahead," Ms Barclay said.

"Our dedicated and highly skilled staff are ready to provide Timboon and district community members with urgent care, at any time, on any day of the week."

The Timboon UCC is located at 21 Hospital Road.

The centres are also located at Camperdown, Port Fairy, Portland, Terang, Heywood and Casterton.

Community members are reminded to save Triple Zero (000) for emergencies.

For non-life-threatening matters, you can contact the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) from anywhere in Victoria, at any time.