If you require medical attention for emergencies, you should always call 000.

SGH have an urgent care centre that supports our community and visitors to the area.

From Monday 18 December 2023 the model is as follows:

The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) is a state-wide virtual emergency department specialist video telehealth consultation service operating 24 hours per day and seven days a week with daily specialist medical cover between 6am – 2am, and overnight nursing/nurse practitioner cover from 11pm – 8am. The VVED aims to provide selected patients with the virtual equivalent of attending an actual Emergency Department or Urgent Care Centre (UCC) for an initial consult, medical advice, treatment recommendations and referrals for ongoing management. The Department of Health has tasked Northern Health to operate this state-wide service.

VVED support after hours will add value to the current GP service and reduce the burden on the GP on call, to SGH UCC after hours.

Afterall, the FMC GPs have a clinic to run during hours. VVED will be accessed for appropriate presentations (Category 3, 4 and 5) between the hours of 6pm and 8am, 7 days per week.

The GP on call will continue to respond to ALL Category presentations between 8am and 6pm and for Category 1, 2, and certain 3’s after hours. They will also maintain on call emergency Inpatient, Obstetric and Anaesthetic cover.

The SGH UCC referral model to VVED is as follows:

• The SGH nurse will triage and register the patient 24/7 as per usual
• The patient will provide consent to receive a VVED consultation
• If eligible the patient will be registered and access the VVED
• The nurse will provide essential vital signs, assessment findings
• The VVED physician/NP will assess and determine plan
• Based on the assessment, the pathway for resolved or not resolved will be followed

SGH will use the triage room that will provide necessary privacy for a VVED consult.

SGH have a workstation on wheels (WOW) for consultations.

The patient will not incur any cost for the VVED service.