Needing urgent health care? There are lots of options available to South Australians beyond the emergency department. Here, we dive into them.
From publicly-accessible virtual care services, to urgent care clinics and community pharmacies, there are plenty of ways South Australians can access healthcare quickly and easily.
Here’s a breakdown of all your options, so you can find care that suits you and your needs.
SA Virtual Care Service
The SA Virtual Care Service is designed to bring care to communities for whom a visit to the emergency department (ED) is particularly tough. This includes adults living in rural locations or in disability and aged care homes, who access the service through referrals from on-site care staff or healthcare professionals.
Since it launched in December 2021, more than 40,000 South Australians have received hospital-level healthcare thanks to SAVCS, with around 80 per cent of patients treated on-site or in the community without needing to visit a physical ED.
This is equivalent to freeing up about 100 hospital beds daily – alleviating pressure on emergency departments and ensuring faster, more accessible care for those who need it most.
Dr Erin O’Connor, a rural generalist with emergency medicine training, is part of the expert SAVCS team quietly revolutionising healthcare delivery from the heart of the Tonsley Innovation Precinct.
“We speak to various members of the public, paramedics, or nursing staff and assess patients through a virtual emergency department,” Dr O’Connor says.
“It is rewarding in that we get to help these vulnerable populations which otherwise might not be able to access timely medical care, or it may be extra stress for them to present to an emergency department,” she says.
Dr O’Connor says communicating with patients through a screen doesn’t create a barrier – in fact, the opposite is true. “One of the best things about it is that we can actually see where people are in their own environment, and that helps you assess them better,” she says. This unique perspective allows for personalised, holistic care.
The virtual setting also allows more time with each patient to ensure they never feel rushed. “It’s nice because we have that time to be able to spend solely with the patient to give them the best care possible, rather than having to juggle four or five patients at a time in a busy face-to-face emergency department,” Dr O’Connor says.
With a median visit time of just 40 minutes, SAVCS is also faster than making the trip to the hospital and waiting in the ED. The feedback from patients has been overwhelmingly positive, with many saying they really “feel heard” by the SAVCS doctor and couldn’t believe they could get specialist care without attending a physical emergency department.
While Dr O’Connor doesn’t see virtual care ever replacing traditional medical services, she believes it has a crucial role to play. “I don’t think it’ll become the norm for every situation, but it’s definitely a very useful adjunct to medical services,” she says.
How virtual care is helping our children: Q&A with an expert
Child and Adolescent Virtual Urgent Care Service
For young people aged six months to 18 years, the Child and Adolescent Virtual Urgent Care Service (CAVUCS) provides critical support for non-life-threatening conditions like sports injuries, coughs, colds, and mental health concerns.
Staffed by skilled paediatric emergency nurses, doctors and mental health clinicians, CAVUCS is accessible for free through the Women’s and Children’s Hospital website, seven days a week from 9am-9pm. Since its launch, CAVUCS has treated 54,000 patients, with 93 per cent avoiding a hospital visit altogether.
Virtual Women’s Assessment Service
The Virtual Women’s Assessment Service offers fast and free midwifery care to expectant mothers under 20 weeks and post-natal support within six weeks of birth. Launched last year, the service is available every day from 8am-4pm to help women manage early pregnancy symptoms and urgent gynaecological issues – all from the comfort of their home.
Over 1,100 women have used the service since its launch, with overwhelmingly positive feedback, especially from those in rural areas who find it difficult to access traditional healthcare facilities.
Medicare Urgent Care Clinics
Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are a new option for South Australians who need urgent, non-life-threatening medical attention but can’t get an appointment with their GP.
Located at six key sites across the state – including Marion, Elizabeth and Mount Gambier – these clinics provide bulk-billed care without the need for an appointment or referral. Whether it’s a sprain, a cut that needs stitching, or a minor infection, these clinics are helping more South Australians access urgent care faster.
Pharmacy services: Fast, convenient healthcare
South Australian community pharmacies are also rolling out quick and accessible healthcare for a variety of issues. The community pharmacy urinary tract infection (UTI) service, available in over 200 pharmacies, has already allowed more than 4,130 women to access antibiotics without the need for a script, contributing to a 21 per cent drop in UTI-related hospital visits.
Pharmacists can also resupply oral contraceptives without a GP appointment, helping more than 380 women maintain their contraceptive routine so far.
The state government announced this month the introduction of a fourth 24/7 pharmacy in Adelaide – this time in the outer southern suburbs – as figures show nearly 120,000 people visited the three 24/7 pharmacies since they opened in February and March. Together, the pharmacies have dispensed more than 49,000 scripts during the additional opening hours, and taken nearly 5,500 phone calls from people seeking health assistance.
And there’s more to come – by 2026, pharmacists with specialised training will be able to treat conditions like ear infections, musculoskeletal pain, and acne, making pharmacies true healthcare destinations for minor ailments.
Priority Care Centres
Priority Care Centres offer patients an alternative to the ED for non-life-threatening conditions. Available by referral from SA Ambulance Service or local GPs, these centres provide fast access to healthcare professionals who can treat conditions like respiratory infections, minor fractures and dehydration.
