Victoria’s first new Priority Primary Care Centre, PPCC, has opened in Epping.
The centres will provide Victorians will more healthcare options, as well as giving general practioners more support to provide primary healthcare.
Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas visited the Epping centre on Thursday – the first of the State Government’s 25 new centres set to open across the state in coming months.
The centres will operate for extended hours to suit busy families, and will be equipped to handle conditions like fractures and burns.
Patients will be able to access the services free of charge, whether they have a Medicare card or not.
Ms Thomas said the government was creating a new specialised position to strengthen the relationship between primary care and hospitals and embed more general practice knowledge in the Department of Health.
A new chief GP adviser will drive a program of work designed to better support general practice and improve connections between primary care and public hospitals by supporting the state’s investment in general practice and primary care; assisting with better patient flow, including in aged care and disability care; working with a chief surgical adviser on patient pathways to surgery; supporting continued consultation between the Department of the Health and the GP sector; and working with the Commonwealth to bolster general practice and primary care, and advocating for continued Commonwealth investment
An appointment process for the inaugural chief GP adviser will start in the coming weeks in consultation with the sector, including the Australian Medical Association and the Royal College of General Practitioners.
The government has invested more than $128 million in primary care – including the creation of 28 state-run GP respiratory clinics and the virtual emergency department, operated by Northern Health, which is providing telehealth care to thousands of patients to reduce pressure on GPs and emergency departments.
“Having the first of our Priority Primary Care Centres open is a huge boost to the system – taking pressure off local GPs and EDs and providing more options for patients in the northern suburbs,” Ms Thomas said.
“The creation of the new chief GP adviser role is a fantastic initiative which will result in more support for GPs through increased support for regional doctors and better connections between hospitals and primary care.”
