Portland is in the grips of a GP shortage.
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Residents have been urged to consider using telehealth support services for non-emergency cases as a shortage of GPs in the town impacts on its Urgent Care Centre.
Portland District Health Urgent Care Centre (UCC) nursing unit manager Deb Tozer said the hospital was seeing many people with general illnesses that would normally be dealt with by their GP.
Numbers using the UCC have steadily increased over recent years from 700-800 to about 900 presentations per month, leading to delays for many patients.
A Nurse on Call service and My Emergency Doctor are now available to south-west residents.
"Whilst we are happy to provide a service to all in the community, we ask for understanding," Ms Tozer said.
"Rather than overwhelm an already busy department, patients can assist by utilising telehealth services where available.
"We don't want to deter people who have a genuine emergency and we will continue to see people with conditions traditionally seen by their GP, but we ask for patience."
Ms Tozer said that while it was difficult to isolate GP-type presentations, the UCC was seeing more people with general illnesses stating they can't get into their GP. These conditions include coughs and colds, sprains and strains, wound management, and requesting prescriptions and X-rays.
All patients presenting at the UCC will be assessed for treatment and prioritised according to need.
"We're more than happy to see anybody but they have to understand we prioritise all presentations," Ms Tozer said. "If it is something deemed minor by the nursing staff, then they may have a longer wait."
Portland District Health chief executive officer Chris Giles said there was limited GP availability in the community and at PDH and she urged people with non-urgent illnesses or injuries to consider other alternatives.
"More people are coming to us for issues that would be normally dealt with by their GP. However, PDH has also experienced difficulties recruiting doctors in our Urgent Care Centre, which has been exacerbated by COVID border closures.
"We always aim have a doctor on site but over the past three months there have times when that hasn't been possible, although we have the back-up of virtual technology in cases of emergency."
Ms Giles said the community could help efforts to recruit GPs by promoting the town as a welcoming destination and by passing on any potential contacts.
"We have an unusual situation that we're working hard to alleviate. Our new intern program aims to reduce the reliance on international travelling workforce, but it's going to take time to fix the problem."
Residents of Western Victoria are eligible for free after-hours telehealth consultations through a partnership with the Western Victoria Primary Health Network and details can be found at
My Emergency Doctor's telemedicine service is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year, providing consultation with Australian-qualified senior emergency specialist doctors.
The Nurse on Call service can be contacted on 1300 606 024.
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