Bridgewater’s new urgent care clinic open seven days a week for free
Tasmanians in Hobart’s northern suburbs can save themselves a trip to hospital, with a new provider chosen for a bulk-billed Urgent Care Clinic. The details >>
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A provider for a new seven days a week, free walk-in urgent care clinic in Hobart’s northern suburbs has been chosen, enabling extended hours care for an area previously troubled by medical centre closures.
After a tender process by the Tasmanian government and Primary Health Tasmania, Hurst Street’s Jordan River Health will house the new Bridgewater Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (UCC) from November.
The Bridgewater clinic will be the fifth clinic in Tasmania and is only 30 minutes from Hobart’s two UCCs.
The clinics aim to treat a range of urgent, but not life-threatening conditions and injuries while being bulk-billed, providing free health care and keeping some patients out of hospital.
In 2022-23, 36 per cent of presentations to the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) were for semi-urgent or non-urgent matters.
Federal Member for Lyons Brian Mitchell said the UCC provided another healthcare option for Tasmanians living out of major towns or cities.
“I strongly made the case for the people of Bridgewater to have an alternative option than driving into the city for non-emergency medical situations, which will also benefit the surrounding areas of Brighton, Derwent Valley and Glenorchy,” he said.
“The new clinic in at Jordan River Health will fill gaps in health services and deliver for local people who need medical help quickly but aren’t a high priority in a busy emergency department.
“With no appointment needed and fully bulk billed, the walk-in clinic is very positive news for the people of the northern suburbs.”
Lyons member Jen Butler said the clinic would also help to take pressure off the RHH.
“Already the Tasmanian Medicare UCCs have had almost 50,000 visits,” she said.
“Importantly, it’s giving families an option of urgent care instead of spending hours in emergency departments.
“The Bridgewater Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will be open seven days, extended hours and all Tasmanians will need is their Medicare card, not their credit card.”
The former Greenpoint Medical Clinic, now Jordan River Health, was purchased by healthcare provider Your Hobart Doctor last year after a shortage of doctors and “unsustainable” conditions meant it was financially unable to stay open.
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