Dandenong PPCC has treated more than 9000 patients since opening its doors. The centre is supported by highly skilled independent doctors and nurses, utilising excellent treatment and procedure room facilities.

What is a PPCC?

PPCCs provide care for people with conditions that require urgent attention but not an emergency response and can include:

• Infection – mild to moderate fever, pain or burning when urinating, skin infections 
• Injury/Trauma – sprains, suspected minor fractures, foreign object, burns or bites, cuts or lacerations 
• Respiratory – mild/moderate asthma attack, trouble breathing but still able to talk in sentences 
• Gut – nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain (under 50 years but not related to an injury) 
• Ear, nose and throat – earache, eye irritations, sinus pain, ongoing headache 
• Fainting or fitting – typical seizure experienced before, short fitting episodes then recovery to normal (not following head injury), fainting (brief) 
• Skin conditions/allergy – rash, infected pimple or cyst, lumps and bumps 
• Infants/Pregnancy – paediatrics, light bleeding in the first trimester, excessive vomiting. 

PPCCs are here to help when patients require urgent medical need that is not life-threatening. They were created to take some of the pressure off emergency departments so they can focus on the most serious cases. While PPCCs are happy to help, we kindly ask that you only send patients with urgent needs, and not for routine medical care. Our PPCCs are not designed to replace regular doctor visits, but rather to supplement care when most needed. 

To support appropriate referrals, please review the inclusion and exclusion criteria of conditions. Additionally, we have developed flyers and posters that can be kept on reception desks and in GP offices should a patient require urgent non-life threatening care. 

If you have any questions or would like to know more, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at PPCC@semphn.org.au.