Our priority primary care centres (PPCCs) provide care for people with conditions that require urgent attention but not an emergency response.
The clinics are supporting nearby hospital emergency departments by providing GP-led care for urgent but non-life-threatening conditions such as mild infections, fractures and burns. They also offer pathology and imaging services onsite or nearby.
Care is available to anyone with or without a Medicare card, at no cost to the patient. (Costs may be required for imaging, pathology and other services.)
Visit the Better Health Channel website to book at a clinic near you.
On this page:
If your condition is serious, but not life-threatening*, you can visit a PPCC instead of waiting in an emergency department. They have GPs and nurses who specialise in providing urgent care.
They can treat conditions including:
*Call Triple Zero (000) or visit your nearest emergency department if you or someone you know is experiencing an immediate life-threatening emergency.
**If you are feeling unwell with mild to moderate respiratory symptoms, contact your local GP (in person or by telehealth appointment) or call NURSE-ON-CALL (1300 60 60 24) for free advice from a registered nurse, 24 hours a day. If urgent care is required, visit a PPCC or contact the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department online, 24 hours a day.
Eight PPCCs are now open in our region:
Craigieburn PPCC (supporting Northern Health)
70 Central Park Avenue, Craigieburn
Phone bookings: (03) 8384 0940
Online bookings: craigieburnmedicalcentre.com.au/priority-primary-care-centre
Maribyrnong PPCC (supporting Footscray Hospital)
G01B/31 Edgewater Boulevard, Maribyrnong
Phone bookings: (03) 9317 1717
Online bookings: maribyrnongppcc.com.au
Moonee Ponds PPCC (supporting the Royal Melbourne Hospital)
34/46 Holmes Rd, Moonee Ponds
Phone bookings: (03) 9945 7724
Online bookings: mooneepondsmedicalcentre.com.au/priority-primary-care-centre
Richmond PPCC (supporting St Vincent’s Hospital)
Lower Ground Floor, 283 Church Street Richmond
Email: richmondppcc@accesshc.org.au
Phone: (03) 8850 4190
Online bookings: accesshc.org.au/PPCC
Royal Children’s Hospital Priority Primary Care Centre (supporting Royal Children’s Hospital)
This service receives or reviews suitable patients from the Royal Children’s Hospital emergency department. Bookings and walk-up appointments are not available.
Your local PPCC can treat children who need same day care.
Sunbury PPCC (supporting the Royal Melbourne Hospital)
1–5 Dornoch Drive, Sunbury
Phone bookings: (03) 9744 9922
Online bookings: gmcgp.com/priority-primary-care-centre
Sunshine PPCC (supporting Sunshine Hospital)
421 Ballarat Road, Sunshine
Phone bookings: (03) 8539 2772
Online bookings: sunshineppcc.com
Email bookings: info@sunshinecitymedical.com.au
Werribee PPCC (supporting Werribee Mercy Hospital)
1–5 Station Place, Werribee
Phone bookings: (03) 8734 0340
Online bookings: werribeemedicalcentre.com.au/priority-primary-care-centre
PPCCs are commissioned by primary health networks with funding from the Victorian and Australian governments.
The map below shows all PPCC locations across Victoria. Click the icon at top left to view sites opening soon (these locations are approximate).
Visit the Better Health Channel website to book at a clinic near you.
PPCCs were established as GP-led services that provide urgent care for low acuity presentations and to:
PPCCs were selected through an open tender process. Local general practices were required to demonstrate their ability to meet the service specifications, including local connection to the health services. Whilst some deliver the PPCC onsite at their existing clinic, others have set up a separate satellite site in order to have sufficient rooms, patient flows for infection prevention and patient amenities.
They are open 7 days per week for extended hours. Visit the Better Health Channel website to view the opening hours for your local clinic.
Patients can walk into the clinics, book online or make an appointment over the phone. Patients may also be referred to a PPCC by their GP, Ambulance Victoria, Victorian Virtual Emergency Department, their local emergency department, Nurse-on-Call or the Maternal and Child Health Line.
Whilst some PPCCs have onsite radiology that operates within specific hours, others have developed local referral pathways with existing pathology providers.
Most of the PPCCs have onsite pathology during business hours with PPCC nurses able to complete after hours pathology requests.
No. Care is available to all patients with or without a Medicare card (costs may be required for imaging, pathology and other services).
The patient is referred back to their regular GP/general fractice for follow-up care. A treatment summary will be provided back to the patient’s usual GP.
PPCCs are for people who require short-term immediate care for urgent low acuity conditions.
They are not a place for a routine health assessment, a review of a care plan or a repeat prescription. PPCCs employ a rigorous triage process to ensure only urgent low acuity conditions are seen. Patients presenting with chronic conditions that can be managed by their usual GP will be referred back to their regular GP.
PPCC providers and their supporting partners can visit the Victorian Department of Health website to download messaging and collateral for use in stakeholder marketing of local PPCCs.
Communications resources for health and community services in our region are available below.
We acknowledge the people of the Kulin nations as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which our work in the community takes place. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.
We also recognise, respect and affirm the central role played in our work by people with lived experience, their families and/or carers.
While the Australian Government Department of Health has contributed to the funding of this website, the information on this website does not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government and is not advice that is provided, or information that is endorsed, by the Australian Government. The Australian Government is not responsible in negligence or otherwise for any injury, loss or damage however arising from the use of or reliance on the information provided on this website.
We acknowledge the people of the Kulin nations as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which our work in the community takes place. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.
We also recognise, respect and affirm the central role played in our work by people with lived experience, their families and/or carers.
While the Australian Government Department of Health has contributed to the funding of this website, the information on this website does not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government and is not advice that is provided, or information that is endorsed, by the Australian Government. The Australian Government is not responsible in negligence or otherwise for any injury, loss or damage however arising from the use of or reliance on the information provided on this website.
