The Australian Government has opened two new Medicare urgent care clinics (UCCs) in Victoria and New South Wales (NSW).
The Inner Melbourne Medicare UCC in Victoria is located at 1/221 Drummond Street, Carlton and the Lake Haven Medicare UCC in NSW is located at Lake Haven Shopping Centre on Lake Haven Drive.
Carlton Medical and Urgent Care Clinic has been set up as the Inner Melbourne Medicare UCC, which has begun attending to patients from 15 December.
This clinic, which is open seven days a week with extended hours, offers fully bulk-billed walk-in care.
Aiming to address non-urgent or semi-urgent cases, the clinic alleviates pressure off the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Besides Inner Melbourne Medicare UCC, Victoria has nine clinics under operation.
Australian Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler said: “The Inner Melbourne Medicare UCC will mean people in this community who need urgent but not acute care, can get it quickly even if it’s outside standard hours – and all they’ll need is their Medicare card.
“The Albanese Government is committed to strengthening Medicare and making it easier and cheaper to get quality healthcare, by tripling the bulk billing incentive and making medicines cheaper.”
The Lake Haven Medicare UCC in NSW is also open seven days a week with extended hours and aims to alleviate the burden off local hospitals, particularly Wyong Hospital.
Over 50% of patient cases attended by Wyong Hospital are of a non-urgent or semi-urgent nature.
This new clinic joins an existing network of 12 operational clinics in various locations spread across NSW.
Commenting on the Lake Haven Medicare UCC’s opening, Butler added: “This is the final Medicare UCC to open in New South Wales, delivering on the government’s commitment to make it easier to see a doctor.
“The Lake Haven Medicare UCC is going to make a big difference to patients across the Central Coast.
“This clinic will ease pressure on the Wyong Hospital, allowing them to concentrate on higher priority emergencies.