After Hours Primary Health Care

After Hours Primary Health Care

Promoting better healthcare choices outside business hours

After hours health services

To find health services open in the after hours near you, search https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/


EMPHN funded after hours services

  • Yarra Valley Community Medical Service – After Hours Clinic: Eastern Health have been commissioned to provide after hours GP services for the Healesville and surrounding communities though the Yarra Valley Community Medical Service.
  • After hours mental health nurse support: Sometimes stress, anxiety, depression or grief can be overwhelming. healthAbility's After Hours Mental Health Nurse support service can provide a chance to meet with someone face to face, to get on top of things early.

After hours pharmacies

The following pharmacies in EMPHN’s catchment are open 24 hours and operate a nurse-led clinic 6-10pm every evening.

This is a Department of Health and Human Services ‘Supercare Pharmacy’ initiative.

The following pharmacies, both located at 401 Blackburn Road, Mount Waverley, are now offering 24 hour service:

  • TerryWhite Chemmart Pharmacy. Tel: 9802 2388
  • Waverley Family Healthcare. Tel: 9802 8000

Best contact for both pharmacies is: Yen Yab via kin106@hotmail.com

EMPHN's After Hours program

The core objective of EMPHN’s After Hours Primary Health Care program is to:

  • increase the efficiency and effectiveness of After Hours Primary Health Care for patients, particularly those with limited access to health services
  • improve access to After Hours Primary Health Care through effective planning, coordination and support for population based After Hours Primary Health Care.

We also work to:

  • address service gaps and the lack of, or inequity of access to After Hours Primary Health Care, ensuring ongoing consideration for vulnerable populations and rural and remote populations who have not been well served by previous after hours arrangements.
  • improve patient outcomes through working collaboratively with health professionals and services.
  • address fragmentation, increase efficiency and effectiveness and implement systems to support effective communication and continuity of care across after hours service providers and a patient's regular GP.
  • work with key local after hours stakeholders, to plan, coordinate, and support population-based After Hours Primary Health Care
  • Foster local level solutions and enable a greater focus of specific target groups, particularly where the Practice Incentive Programme (PIP) After Hours Incentive may not reach.
  • Increase consumer awareness of After Hours Primary Health Care available in their community and improve patient health literacy on the appropriate health services to access in the after-hours period.
  • Provide funding for an after-hours clinic in Healesville.

Virtual Support

The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) is available free to anyone from anywhere in Victoria, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For patients:

  • patients can receive self-care advice, prescriptions, or referrals for tests, scans or other services at facilities close to their home. Some will be asked to attend their nearest ED.

Refer to this flyer for more information.

For GPs and other primary care providers:

  • co-consultation service available for GPs and patients who are in the same room using a single telehealth device. It enables fast and appropriate referrals and can improve the capacity of GPs to manage similar presentations in future.
  • the VVED identifies patients who would traditionally be referred to an ED but may be suitable for management outside a hospital, including through new priority primary care centres, GP respiratory clinics, primary care and allied health.
  • identifies patients who can bypass ED and be fast-tracked to suitable hospital pathways for ongoing investigation and management. This includes referrals to short stay units, hospital-in-the-home services, and acute review specialist clinics.
  • provides referrals back to primary care providers for patients who require follow-up after their emergency telehealth consultation.
  • if patients consent, the VVED will provide GPs with discharge summaries and other relevant information.

Refer to this flyer for more information.