Nurses at the Parkville Youth Justice Precinct have been using the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) to connect with emergency staff to support young people’s medical needs.

cohealth has been delivering Primary Healthcare Services at the precinct since February 2024, and in FY25 provided 9,677 service occasions for 442 young people at Parkville.

In partnership with Northern Health, VVED has become a preferred way to ensure timely medical assessments, improve the escalation of care, and reduce emergency hospital transfers from Parkville. It is free, available 24-hours-a-day, and requires no Medicare details.

In using VVED, cohealth nurses can access telehealth consultations with emergency department doctors and nurses to assess and triage the young people before providing health advice, a plan, and a discharge summary.

Hospital refusal from young people at the Parkville Youth Justice Precinct is common, so the value of having a less disruptive solution is significant.

As one cohealth nurse observed about using the VVED, “They don’t have to wait in ED, fill out unneeded forms, or answer unnecessary questions.”

Additionally, VVED empowers cohealth nurses to manage medical events on-site, which increases their knowledge, experience, and capacity.

At Parkville, VVED is being used between the hours of 5:30 pm and midnight. It has made it possible for young people to be treated within 75 minutes, with only a third of them needing subsequent emergency hospital transfers.

Reflecting on a recent incident where VVED was used, a cohealth staff member described it as a “positive experience end to end.”

“The young person got the same level of care they would in ED. He got to ask the doctor questions directly and be involved in his care planning.”

Nurse at Parkville Youth Justice Precinct

“We avoided a box-ticking visit to the ER. I feel like that fact alone improved my relationship with them.”