A Ballarat public health official says the local emergency department has "yet to see a pressure reduction" from a new care centre designed to ease demand, but the state government says the model is working.
Ballarat Base Hospital was unable to meet public demand amid rising COVID-19 cases and was forced to trigger a code yellow in June last year, urging patients to consider other methods of care.
In late 2022, nine Priority Primary Care Centres (PPCC) were unveiled across Victoria by the state government in the hope the centres would reduce high demand and stress on exhausted emergency staff.
The PPCCs are intended for patients who require urgent care, but are not facing immediate, life-threatening danger.
Those suffering from mild infections, fractures and burns can receive treatment at the centres instead of waiting at the emergency department.
The government spent more than $70 million on the PPCC initiative.
Data shows the centres have seen 6,000 patients since they began opening in October.
The Ballarat Priority Primary Care Centre, which is being run by UFS Pharmacies, sees between 50 and 68 patients a day.
Approximately 30 per cent of patients were diverted from the Ballarat Base Hospital, and about 20 per cent of patients were referred by GPs, pharmacists or other health professionals.
Roughly 2 per cent were dropped off by ambulances.
The top two ailments seen in patients were infection and injuries such as fractures and lacerations.
"Even in the space of just a few months, the Priority Primary Care Centres are already making a real difference to emergency department demand," a government spokesperson said.
"[It's] a trend we expect to continue as we progressively open a further 15 centres across the state."
But Grampians Health chief executive Dale Fraser said this week it did not appear the Ballarat PPCC was easing pressure on the emergency department.
Despite the government data, the health service did not respond to requests to elaborate on Mr Fraser's comments.
"I must admit we haven't seen a pressure reduction…" Mr Fraser said, earlier in the week.
"I don't honestly think [the PPCC] has made a significant difference to our ED."
Mr Fraser said COVID-19 may have had an impact "but the data is not yet clear".
"It's a challenge, it's undoubtedly a challenge – we've had some of the largest [COVID-19] numbers in the state in Ballarat and this region," Mr Fraser said.
"We've almost escaped two years of major COVID-19 … and now we've got it
"Staff have grown accustomed in a sense to [the virus] but we are all looking forward to the day when we don't have COVID in our community."
