High Demand at Sunshine and Footscray Hospital Emergency Departments

Patients attending the emergency departments at Western Health hospitals in Sunshine and Footscray are being advised to expect longer wait times due to very high demand.

People who require medical care but do not have an emergency condition are being encouraged to consider alternative healthcare options to help reduce pressure on emergency services and ensure critically unwell patients receive urgent treatment.

Alternative care pathways include the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department, a free video-based healthcare service providing virtual consultations for mild to moderate conditions.

Patients can also contact NURSE-ON-CALL on 1300 60 60 24 for free health advice from registered nurses.

Several Urgent Care Centres are also available across Melbourne’s west, including:

• Maribyrnong Urgent Care Centre
  Ground Floor, 31 Edgewater Boulevard, Maribyrnong VIC 3032
  Phone: (03) 9317 1717
• Melton Urgent Care Centre
  247–251 Station Road, Melton VIC 3337
  Phone: (03) 8746 0262
• Sunshine Urgent Care Centre
  421 Ballarat Road, Sunshine VIC 3020
  Phone: (03) 8539 2772

Health authorities are reminding the community that in a life-threatening emergency, people should call Triple Zero (000) immediately or attend their nearest emergency department.

Victorians can also locate their nearest urgent care service through the Better Health Victoria urgent care clinic finder.