An Albanese Labor Government will fund Medicare Urgent Care Clinics to be based at GP surgeries and Community Health Centres in at least 50 locations across Australia, including right here on Brisbane’s southside.
Only Labor has a plan to expand GP emergency care access by delivering a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic here on the southside.
We know that families are already struggling to access emergency care and are under pressure from rising out of pocket costs to see a GP which only contributes to the strain on household budgets. Under the Liberals, out of pocket costs to see a GP in Griffith have gone up by 35 per cent and in Moreton they have gone up by 38 per cent.
Medicare Urgent Care Clinics will take the pressure off hospital emergency departments by providing an alternative option for families needing urgent care from a doctor or nurse. They will treat sprains and broken bones, cuts, wounds, insect bites, minor ear and eye problems and minor burns.
Care will be bulk billed, meaning families won’t be out-of-pocket for having a loved one attended to, just like if they’d gone to a public hospital.
They’ll be open seven days a week from at least 8 am to 10 pm – the time when the majority of non-life-threatening injuries occur.
Medicare Urgent Care Clinics will relieve pressure on hospitals and free up dedicated nurses and doctors at hospital emergency departments so they can focus on providing care for serious and life-threating presentations.
Each clinic will differ in size and structure and the Urgent Care Clinic right here on Brisbane’s southside will be tailored to meet the needs of the local community.
Medicare Urgent Care Clinics will be located across Australia – in every State and Territory.
Labor will invest over $135 million across four years to establish a trial of 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics.
Quotes attributable to Mark Butler:
“Medicare Urgent Care Centres are a practical, tangible example of Labor’s commitment to strengthen Medicare and make it easier for families to access care.
“Medicare is the bedrock of our health system and by using it to help take the pressure off hospital emergency departments we make can the whole system stronger.”
Quotes attributable to Terri Butler:
“Our nurses and doctors work extraordinarily hard, and there is unprecedented demand in our emergency departments.”
“I am so pleased that Labor is committing to take the pressure off our local southside hospitals.”
Quotes attributable to Graham Perrett:
“Families in Moreton are finding it tough; everything is going up except their wages. The cost to see a GP has gone up 38 per cent. Every parent knows, when kids injure themselves, they need care straight away. Medicare Urgent Care clinics will mean families can get the care they need for their kids when they need it, and they will be bulk billed. This clinic will be great for families in Moreton.”
