The federal government has granted an eleventh-hour extension to a COVID clinic in one of western Victoria's largest regional centres.
Horsham's GP-led respiratory clinic, which tests people with symptoms of COVID and other respiratory illnesses, had been due to run out of federal funding by December 31.
On Monday, a funding extension until February 28 was confirmed by the federal Department of Health.
The Horsham clinic along with 96 others across Australia began in early 2020 as test centres for coronavirus.
In October, a scaled-back version of the clinics program began, as the government sought to "recalibrate" its COVID response.
Another extension likely needed
David Wilson, a GP and local Lister House Medical Centre co-owner, welcomed the funding announcement.
Dr Wilson said the respiratory clinic would funnel people who wanted access to COVID testing away from Horsham's emergency department (ED) and local GP clinics.
"You don't really want sick people with respiratory complaints mixing with people in the general clinic, people who might be elderly, on cancer treatment, pregnant or children," he said.
He said he hoped the respiratory clinic could eventually become a bulk-billed GP urgent care clinic.
The federal government promised to fund 50 such facilities nationwide before it won May's election.
At the least, Dr Wilson said the clinic would likely need another extension beyond February.
"We think it would be a good fit," he said.
"We're well aware the emergency department at Horsham hospital is overrun and very busy, and people have long waiting times.
"We aim to work with the hospital to take patients out of the emergency department and manage them."
In a statement, Grampians Health also welcomed the extending of the federal funding, saying the clinic was already easing pressure on its city's ED.
"As of [Tuesday], there are 10 in-patients being treated for COVID-19 at Horsham hospital," a spokesperson said.
Horsham's ED is the only one for 90 minutes in any direction.
There have been 37 cases of COVID in the Wimmera in the past 24 hours, and 283 in the past week.
Other decisions yet to be made
In a statement, the federal government did not detail which other clinics had had their funding extended beyond New Year's Eve.
It said it was "currently finalising offers for clinics across Australia".
A spokesperson said criteria including how far the clinics were from alternate healthcare and "population demographics" would determine which ones would get further funding, and which wouldn't.
"Early next year the Department will undertake an approach to market to develop a new respiratory clinic panel for activation during health emergencies. The new panel will be established from March 1," the statement read.
