By Renee Wood
The Services for Healesville Hospital Action Group (SHHAG) has met with the Department of Health to discuss the needs of an Urgent Care Centre in Healesville, which would be the closest urgent care service to parts of the Upper Yarra.
The meeting follows recent discussions with the health minister’s team, with the group continuing to push for better services for the community.
Councillor Fiona McAllister is on the SHHAG committee and attended the meeting.
Cr McAllister said they got the opportunity to argue the need and share what has already happened within the campaign.
“It might be small steps, but it does feel like small steps in the right direction and we’re being heard and that there’s increasing acknowledgement or recognition that there is a need,” Cr McAllister said.
They discussed the model which is available through the State Government’s roll out of for priority primary care clinic expansions that increases after hours for GPs.
Although SHHAG believes that an Urgent Care Centre which is serviced by Rural and isolated practice registered nurses (RIPRN nurses) who can deal with after hour emergencies who require x-rays and some diagnostics is the better option for the community.
“Ultimately, it’s great to have support from the state or certainly interests from the state government but really the federal government that we need to come on board,” she said.
Recently, SHHAG has been generating community support through advocacy letters which are being sent to the State Government.
If the State Government comes on board, this will allow for greater advocacy to the federal government to include the area in the roll out of 50 new Urgent Care Centres.
The Urgent Care Centre package was announced as an election commitment by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and has been supported in the federal budget this week.
“We really need the federal government to put us down as one of the new locations for urgent care and then provide some funding.”
SHHAG is still working with community groups to create more letters of support, with no slowing down of the ten year campaign.
“It’s been a decade and the need hasn’t diminished – it’s grown – and I just wish someone would hear us and deliver a great outcome for this community,” Cr McAllister said.
