MORE than ten thousand patients have received medical treatment at the Ballarat Priority Primary Care Centre.<\/p>\n
Run by UFS staff, the clinic opened last October, and commonly treats cuts, simple fractures, and illnesses like gastroenteritis.<\/p>\n
Operations manager of the clinic Danielle Trezise said the facility has been catering to the community\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe get reports from the primary health network that benchmark us against other PPCCs across the state, and Ballarat is the highest performing PPCC which is great for Ballarat,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe see the most patients, which is a testament to people in Ballarat looking for an alternative to going to the emergency department.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmergency would still be busy, but they\u2019re reporting that they\u2019re seeing patients that are sicker, and more appropriate to be there, and those that are needing urgent care, but not necessarily an emergency department, are coming to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Trezise said BPPCC staff survey patients, and collected data reports about 50 per cent of them would have presented to one of the local hospital\u2019s emergency departments if they didn\u2019t have access to the clinic.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe get lots of really positive feedback from the patients, and the number of kids we\u2019re seeing is increasing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
About 12 doctors, 30 nurses, and a dozen reception workers are on staff, and Ms Trezise said the ongoing aim is to improve the service and its quality.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s always an evolving project, so we\u2019re looking to the future, and what UFS can do to maximise what we do for the community,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe would like to thank the community for embracing this service, and our partners, like pharmacies, GPs, and the emergency department, that send people to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Member for Ballarat, Catherine King, said the fact that more than 10,000 patients have walked through the clinic\u2019s doors, within the first seven months, is a testament to the facility\u2019s importance.<\/p>\n
\u201cGetting minor but urgent injuries out of emergency rooms and into facilities like this is a win for both patients and our hospital system,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means people can get the treatment they need quickly, while those with more serious needs can have easier access to hospital emergency rooms.<\/p>\n
\u201cA big thank you to the hardworking medical and administrative staff who have helped so many in our community get back on their feet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another Priority Primary Care Clinic is set to be built in Ballarat\u2019s western growth corridor, having been pledged by Labor ahead of the 2022 Federal election.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MORE than ten thousand patients have received medical treatment at the Ballarat Priority Primary Care Centre. Run by UFS staff, the clinic opened last October, and commonly treats cuts, simple fractures, and illnesses like gastroenteritis. Operations manager of the clinic Danielle Trezise said the facility has been catering to the community\u2019s needs. \u201cWe get reports […]<\/p>\n