Bulk-billing Western Medicare Urgent Care Clinic opens at Royal Park
A fourth bulk-billing Medicare Urgent Care Clinic has opened in the western suburbs, with the fifth to open at Morphett Vale later this month.
SA News
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South Australia’s fourth Medicare Urgent Care Clinic officially opens today at Royal Park, with the fifth and final one to open at Morphett Vale on December 28, fulfilling the federal government’s election commitment.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler will open the Western Medicare Urgent Care Clinic at Old Port Road Medical & Dental Centre in Royal Park.
He said it delivers on the federal government’s commitment to make it easier for South Australians to get the urgent treatment they need – from highly qualified doctors and nurses – while taking pressure off local hospitals.
It comes as ambulance ramping hit record 4285 hours in November, with long wait times in clogged EDs and amid allegations the triage system of treating the sickest patients first is being ignored in order to unload ramped ambulances of patients less sick than those in waiting rooms.
The Western Medicare UCC will be open for extended hours, seven days a week, and offer walk-in care, fully bulk billed — no appointment necessary.
On average, more than 40 per cent of presentations to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Royal Adelaide Hospital and the Women’s and Children’s Hospital emergency departments are for non-urgent or semi-urgent care.
The Western clinic will join the Elizabeth, Marion and Mount Gambier Medicare UCCs in providing services for urgent care needs.
There are now 48 Medicare UCCs open around the country, and all 58 promised will be open by the end of the year.
While the Marion, Elizabeth and Mount Gambier clinics have only been open for a matter of weeks they have already seen more than 1000 patients, taking pressure off EDs.
“The Western Medicare UCC will mean people in the western suburbs 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,” Mr Butler said.
“This clinic will ease pressure on the Royal Adelaide Hospital, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, allowing them to concentrate on higher priority emergencies.
“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.”
State Health Minister Chris Picton said the new clinic will make a big difference to patients across the western suburbs of Adelaide.
“Instead of waiting for a non-life threatening issue at the emergency department like a broken bone or a deep cut, they can receive treatment at this walk-in clinic, with no out of pocket cost,” he said.
“This Medicare UCC will ease pressure on local EDs and be much more convenient for our communities – and importantly will be bulk billed under Medicare and open on weekends and extended hours.”
Originally published as Bulk-billing Western Medicare Urgent Care Clinic opens at Royal Park
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