Funding secured for Torquay Medicare Urgent Care Clinic
The budget has confirmed funding for a major Surf Coast medical centre but the announcement is not without its critics.
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The federal budget has confirmed funding for an urgent health clinic on the Surf Coast.
As part of sweeping funding for Medicare across the country, a Torquay-based Medicare Urgent Care Clinic was included in Tuesday night’s budget deficit.
The budget revealed a $657.9m spending commitment, with a total of 50 clinics to open across the country.
The exact amount of this figure which will be spent on the Torquay clinic is not yet known.
According to the federal government two million Australians are expected to use the clinics for bulk-billed urgent care.
The clinics are expected to reduce pressure on hospitals by providing access to care for people with urgent but not life-threatening conditions.
Geelong hospital has experienced significant problems with ambulance ramping over the last year, with paramedics being assigned to non-life-threatening jobs considered a major factor.
Corangamite MP Libby Coker initially announced Torquay would be involved in the major scheme if the Albanese government was re-elected via a social media post earlier this month.
“It is my pleasure to announce that a re-elected Albanese Labor government will open a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Torquay,” Ms Coker said via social media.
“Our communities on the Surf Coast rallied behind the push for a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, and I’m so proud that we will deliver this service for Torquay.”
The plan is not without its sceptics – Liberal state member for Polwarth Richard Riordan has called it out, citing previous state-based promises for a Torquay hospital in both 2018 and 2022 going unfulfilled.
“How many elections do the Labor candidates representing Torquay think they can keep promising accessible health care to Torquay without delivering on the promise,” Mr Riordan said.
Mr Riordan said Ms Coker had failed to hold her Labor colleagues to account for broken promises.
Ms Coker has been going head-to-head with Corangamite Liberal candidate Darcy Dunstan, who poses a threat to the seat she has held for two terms, with the pair making a series of promises should their party be elected, ahead of this year’s federal election.
Strengthening Medicare was outlined by treasurer Jim Chalmers as one of the five main priorities of the budget handed down on Tuesday night.
Mr Chalmers said the move to add another 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics to the 87 already opened would mean “four in every five Australians will live within a 20-minute drive of an Urgent Care Clinic”.
“Opening early, closing late, available on weekends,” Mr Chalmers said.
“Taking pressure off hospitals and emergency departments.
“And all you need is your Medicare card.”
Mr Chalmers spruiked the sweeping investments in Medicare throughout the budget, calling it the “single largest commitment to Medicare since its creation”.
“A record $8.5bn to lift bulk-billing rates and build our health workforce,” he said.
“Because of this investment, nine out of 10 GP visits should be fully bulk-billed by the end of the decade.”
The government will be spending $7.9bn with the intention to add 18 million additional bulk billed GP visits each year by 2030.
According to the government, achieving this goal would see $859m would be saved by Australian patients each year.
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Originally published as Funding secured for Torquay Medicare Urgent Care Clinic
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