The Rural Doctors Association of Victoria (RDAV) has called for the state government to provide regional urgent care centres with more funding support after a man was charged $200 for after-hours care at a hospital.
Andrew Bibby is a social worker and counsellor who divides his time between Melbourne and Stawell, in the Wimmera region.
Recently Mr Bibby visited Stawell Regional Health's urgent care centre after he began suffering symptoms of kidney stones around midnight.
But his plans for after-hours treatment ground to a halt when he was told he would need to pay $600 for a CT scan.
"I was actually shocked," Mr Bibby told ABC Victoria's Statewide Drive this week.
"I didn't go ahead with it because I could come back to Melbourne and get it done for nothing."
While he avoided the $600 fee by getting treated in the city, Mr Bibby said he has since received a $200 bill for his visit to Stawell Regional Health.
"They just did a quick assessment," he said.
On the hospital's website, it states that the centre is not government funded, and therefore patients need to pay an out of pocket fee of $50.
Stawell Regional Health is yet to respond to requests for comment from both ABC News Ballarat and Statewide Drive.
'Has to change'
The president of RDAV, Dr Rob Phair, said unfortunately Mr Bibby's experience was not unique.
"And often, unfortunately, people in metropolitan Melbourne don't realise how well-serviced they are compared to people in rural Victoria.
"It is not good enough and it has to change."
Victoria's Health Minister Martin Foley has not responded to the ABC's request for a statement following Dr Phair's comments.
Labor pledges bulk-billed centre in Ballarat
Meanwhile in Ballarat, a bulk-billed urgent care centre could be in the pipeline for the city's fast-growing western suburbs.
On Thursday, shadow health spokesperson Catherine King announced Labor would commit to building a GP-led clinic in either Lucas or Winter Valley if the party wins the upcoming election.
Ms King said the facility would increase GP access and ease pressure on crowded emergency rooms.
"This will take pressure off our hard-working hospital staff while delivering locals the services we need," she said.
Ballarat Community Health CEO Sean Duffy said the health service welcomed the funding promise for the clinic.
"Our primary care services are under significant strain, whether it's general practice or allied health, to meet demand," Mr Duffy said.
"So [the centre] makes sense."
