At Timboon and District Healthcare Service (TDHS), our 24-hour Urgent Care Centre is here to support you and your family when unexpected illness or injury occurs.
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, our Urgent Care Centre provides timely assessment, treatment, and stabilisation for people requiring urgent medical attention.
Our experienced nursing staff are available around the clock to assess your condition and ensure you receive the most appropriate care based on your clinical needs.
Medical support is available through an on-call medical roster, with access to additional specialist advice and virtual clinical support services when required.
We understand that seeking urgent medical care can be stressful. Our team is committed to providing care in a safe, respectful, and compassionate environment, while keeping consumers and families informed throughout their care journey.
If you require urgent medical attention, please present to the main entrance and speak with a member of our nursing team.
A nurse first assesses all consumers attending the Urgent Care Centre through a process known as triage. Triage helps determine the priority of treatment based on the severity and urgency of a person’s condition.
TDHS uses the Australian Triage Scale, which classifies presentations into five categories:
| Category | Description |
| Category 1 | Immediately life-threatening |
| Category 2 | Imminently life-threatening |
| Category 3 | Potentially life-threatening |
| Category 4 | Potentially serious |
| Category 5 | Less urgent |
Consumers are treated according to clinical urgency rather than order of arrival, meaning wait times may vary depending on the needs of all patients presenting to the service.
Following the nursing assessment, a doctor may be contacted to attend if required. At times, a doctor may not be immediately available on-site. In these circumstances, medical support may be provided through the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) or Barwon Health using telehealth technology.
The Urgent Care Centre is designed for people requiring urgent assessment and immediate medical attention.
For non-urgent medical concerns, community members are encouraged to make an appointment with their local general practitioner.
If you believe you or another person is experiencing a medical emergency, please call 000 immediately.
TDHS is an Urgent Care Centre and not a designated Emergency Department.
Urgent Care services are provided free of charge for Medicare cardholders; however, fees may apply for some medical practitioner or specialist services where applicable. Any doctor-related charges are billed directly by the treating doctor.
Additional charges may apply for non-urgent presentations or for consumable items such as dressings, bandages, or medical supplies.
Consumers who are not eligible for Medicare benefits will be required to pay for all medical care services provided.
A Medicare-ineligible consumer may include someone who:
- Does not hold a valid Medicare card
- Is not covered under an Asylum Seeker program
- Is not from a country with a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia
Countries currently included in reciprocal arrangements include:
- United Kingdom
- New Zealand
- Ireland
- Sweden
- The Netherlands
- Finland
- Belgium
- Norway
- Slovenia
- Malta
- Italy
Consumers transferred by ambulance for further treatment are responsible for associated ambulance costs.
TDHS strongly recommends all community members maintain Ambulance Victoria membership, as not all private health insurance policies include ambulance cover. Consumers without ambulance cover may receive significant out-of-pocket costs from Ambulance Victoria.