Four of Victoria’s urgent care clinics not open extended hours

Some of Victoria’s ‘extended hours’ medical centres are operating reduced hours, despite Anthony Albanese’s election promise.

Almost half of the urgent care clinics which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged would open every day between 8am and 10pm in Victoria are closing early or opening late, or both.

In the most shocking example, the Shepparton centre has been forced to close entirely for three days a week – at least temporarily – due to doctor shortages.

On other days it is only open for eight and a half hours, instead of the promised 14.

Three other “super clinics” are operating significantly reduced hours.

In a major promise in last year’s election campaign, Mr Albanese vowed to open 50 health clinics, including 10 in key Victorian locations.

Anthony Albanese pledged the clinics would open every day between 8am and 10pm. Picture: Martin Ollman

The answer is yes, yes and yes.

I just saved you the search. pic.twitter.com/0ixPrgcwtA

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) July 17, 2023

The centres would open by this July, he pledged, as part of a commitment to take pressure off embattled hospital emergency departments.

But the Herald Sun revealed in May that the state would only – in reality – get two additional clinics.

This was because the Albanese government was simply taking over the funding of eight centres which Daniel Andrews separately announced three months before the November state election.

And more than a year into Mr Albanese’s term, only one of the two new clinics in Victoria – in Sunbury – has opened.

A Herald Sun investigation has revealed that of the total of nine clinics the federal government now operates, four are running reduced hours.

Urgent care clinics are designed to provide treatment for non-life threatening conditions. Picture: Unsplash

In the most concerning example, the Shepparton urgent care clinic has only been open between 8am and 4.30pm each day.

Its doors have been shut in the after-hours period between 4.30pm and 10pm.

Since July, it has been closed completely on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and limited its Saturday hours to 4pm to 10pm.

A spokesman for Shepparton Medical Centre said the temporary opening hours were “due to staffing availability”.

“Recruitment is ongoing to expand opening hours,” he said.

Speaking about the clinics on May 17, Health Minister Butler said: “These will deliver services on a seven-day basis per week, across extended hours from 8am to 10pm”.

Health Minister Mark Butler. Picture: Ian Currie

Then on June 26, Mr Butler reiterated that the new Goonawarra Medical Centre in Sunbury would be “open extended hours, seven days a week” to support the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

But this has yet to happen, with the centre only open 11am-9pm Monday to Tuesday, 1pm-9pm Wednesday to Friday, and 8am-4.30pm on weekends.

The Belmont clinic in Geelong is open 9am-9pm Monday to Friday, and 11am-9pm on weekends. The Ballarat clinic is open 10am-10pm seven days a week.

Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said Labor had “blatantly broken this promise”.

“The Victorian health system is in crisis, but the Albanese Government is proving once again that Labor only prioritises health during election campaigns,” Senator Ruston said.

“Not only has the Albanese Government failed to ensure that all urgent care clinics will be open during the promised extended hours, but they are also trying to take credit for merely rebadging eight clinics established by the Victorian state government.”

A health department spokesman said the government was “working with providers on opening hours based on local context, including workforce availability and to be responsive to the needs of the community”.

“The Australian government has committed to properly resourcing Medicare UCCs and is working with state and territory governments and other stakeholders on options to leverage the available workforce while building capability in urgent care.”