Urgent Care Centre

If your condition is serious, or you are experiencing chest pain, you need to call 000 (Triple Zero) for an ambulance.

Grampians Health Stawell has an Urgent Care Centre which is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.

Assessment in Urgent Care

Members of the public who present at our Urgent Care Centre will receive a comprehensive assessment by our experienced nursing team. If required, the nurse will work with our on-site doctor or nurse practitioner, available from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm every day, to provide your care.

Outside of these hours, our nursing team are supported by the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED), unless the patient’s condition is critical and requires further escalation to the doctor or nurse practitioner on call.

Triage
Community members presenting at our Urgent Care Centre will be assessed based on the severity of their condition, with the most critical cases being prioritised.

Patients with less urgent needs may experience a wait or offered the option to use telehealth services via the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED). The consultation is in real time, with very clear images, and allows patients to ask questions as if they were in the same room as the doctor. This technology supports rural patients by reducing the need for travel and enables faster commencement of treatment.

Fees

Urgent Care Centres are not like Emergency Departments in large hospitals. Fees may apply for some services, including transport or  transfer with Ambulance Victoria.

Ambulance Membership
We strongly encourage all community members to hold an Ambulance Victoria Membership, having this membership is the only way to ensure your transfer costs are covered. Many private health insurance policies do not include full ambulance cover, please check your level of cover.

If you have a serious medical condition that requires transfer by ambulance to a larger hospital, you will need your Ambulance Victoria Membership. Without this coverage, you will be invoiced for the ambulance fees by Ambulance Victoria.

Non-Urgent Medical Attention

If medical attention is required for a non-urgent condition, patients are encouraged to contact their GP during business hours. Expert health advice can also be sought 24 hours a day from a registered nurse via the Victorian Nurse-on-Call service by phoning 1300 60 60 24.

Nurse-on-Call: 1300 60 60 24