Moyne Health Services (MHS) this week announced a contract agreement with Shearwater Medical Services to provide GP services at its Villiers Street site.

Expressions of interest for GP services were called for in November last year after a need for the integration of services at MHS was identified as a high priority in the 2020-2025 Health Service Plan.

MHS chief executive officer Jackie Kelly said after a thorough selection process she was delighted to be able to offer Shearwater Medical Services a contractual agreement to provide a broad range of medical services from within the facility.

"This is such an exciting step for MHS to be able to offer a place in-house for a private GP practice to service our community and residents, particularly as it's something that extensive community consultation identified as a high need in our service plan," Ms Kelly said.

Ms Kelly told The Standard some general practitioners would be available on call for after-hours urgent care.

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It comes after past hospital president Garry Lockett said patients were being told to go to Warrnambool's hospital when trying to receive assistance after hours.

Mr Lockett told The Standard new buildings at the health service were "great for the administration staff but it appears we have lost a ward and an emergency after-hours department".

"I know of a number of locals who tried to obtain after hours emergency treatment who were simply told to go to Warrnambool - which usually involves many hours of waiting," he said.

Now, the old administration area of the Villiers Street facility will be transformed into a purpose-built medical clinic to ensure the community can easily access a broad range of medical services now and into the future.

Ms Kelly said the exact timing of when the clinic would be operational was dependent on refurbishment works and associated setting-up processes.

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