Health & Wellness

Virtual Emergency Department or Priority Primary Care Centres vs Hospital Emergency Department

The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) triages and treats patients with non-life-threatening conditions virtually.

Information sourced from Northern Health VVED

VVED is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It allows you to access care for non-life-threatening emergencies. You can connect to the VVED from anywhere in Victoria.
If you are eligible, you will be connected virtually to highly skilled Victorian based emergency doctors and nurses who will provide appropriate care and medical advice, from the comfort of your own home or workplace.
As your consultation will be via video, you will need a device with a camera to use this service.
If during the VVED consultation the clinicians assess a patient as requiring emergency transport by ambulance to a medical facility, this will be immediately arranged.
There is no referral required, and all patients can connect directly from any personal device with a camera. Patients can also be connected to the service via Ambulance Victoria, their GP, or other health professionals.
For patients who prefer to speak in their own language, VVED offers interpreting services. This provides the same quality of service for all patients and their families, regardless of ethnicity and level of English. The online registration forms are available in multiple languages.

Priority Primary Care Centres (PPCC) provide GP led care to people who need urgent care, but not an emergency response.

Information sourced from the Department of Health.

PPCCs will help you get the treatment you need quicker.
We know it's hard to see a GP urgently. PPCCs provide free urgent treatment when you can't see your GP but you don’t need to go to emergency.
Our hospitals are the busiest they have ever been, PPCCs will help ease some of that pressure.
You do not need an appointment to be treated in PPCCs.
GPs will treat patients with urgent but non-life-threatening injury and illness.
Get the care you need closer to home without the need to attend emergency department.
PPCCs will operate seven days a week for extended hours to suit busy families.
PPCC services are free for everyone, with or without a Medicare card.
For more information about Priority Primary Care Centres visit Better Health Channel

Families

Is your child sick, but you can’t get to your GP?
Victoria’s Priority Primary Care Centres provide free urgent treatment for conditions like fever, mild infections and burns, vomiting, allergies, constipation and abdominal pain.
The doctors and nurses at your local Priority Primary Care Centre will see your child quickly, while helping keep our emergency departments free for those in life-threatening situations.
There are over 20 Priority Primary Care Centres operating around the state. Visit https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/priority-primary-care-centres-ppccs for details of the centre closest to you.
Priority Primary Care Centres work in partnership with local hospitals to ensure anyone requiring an urgent response gets the care they need.
Priority Primary Care Centres are free for everyone, with or without a Medicare card.
They are open seven days a week and up to 16 hours a day, accepting walk-ups, referrals and pre-booked appointments.