PM in Beef Capital as urgent care clinic gets beefed up with new docs

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Rockhampton’s Medicare Urgent Care Clinic today to welcome five new doctors.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives at Rockhampton's Medicare Urgent Care Clinic on January 6.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was at Rockhampton’s Medicare Urgent Care Clinic to laud the election commitment he has ticked off while welcoming new doctors.

Mr Albanese said the new GPs were excited about working at the centre.

“It’s so important that if people have a sprain, or they cut themselves, or their kids fall off the bike or the skateboard or have a sports injury, coming here and being able to get the care and support immediately is so important,” he said on Monday afternoon.

“And for the doctors, they have spoken to me about the satisfaction that they’ve got by being able to engage in the range of care that they want to - to be able to use the experience and the skills that they have.”

Mr Albanese said more than one million Australians had received care from 87 urgent care clinics across the nation.

“One quarter of those have been children under the age of fifteen,” he said.

“Here in this centre, since it opened a year ago, there have been 14,600 locals who have come through and got the care that they need when they needed it - and all they’ve needed is their medicare card, not their credit card.

“This is because (the service) is free - this is about we strengthen Medicare, and how we also make sure that we take pressure off emergency departments in hospitals.”

Mr Albanese was accompanied by Queensland Senator Nita Green and Labor candidate for Capricornia Emily Mawson at the clinic.