The Albanese Government is delivering on its commitment to Brisbane Northsiders, with the Northside Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (Medicare UCC) opening from 15 December 2023 on the corner of Gympie and Brookfield Roads.
This Medicare UCC delivers on the Australian Government's commitment to make it easier for people in Queensland to get the urgent treatment they need - from highly qualified doctors and nurses - while taking pressure off local hospitals.
The Medicare UCC will be open for extended hours, 7 days a week, and offer walk-in care that is fully bulk billed.
Almost 50 per cent of presentations to the Prince Charles Hospital are for non-urgent or semi-urgent care.
The Northside clinic will join eight clinics that are already operational in Bundaberg, Gold Coast, Ipswich, Logan (Browns Plains), Murrumba Downs (Redcliffe), Rockhampton, South Brisbane and Toowoomba. The final two Queensland Medicare UCCs in Cairns South and Townsville, will both open before the end of the year.
The Albanese Government will continue to work closely with Primary Health Networks and the Queensland Government to deliver the remaining Medicare UCCs.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
"The Northside Medicare UCC will mean people in this community who need urgent but non-life-threatening care, can get it quickly even if it's outside standard hours - and all they'll need is their Medicare card.
"The Northside Media UCC will be the 53rd Urgent Care Clinic open to treat patients across the country, with all 58 to be open before the end of the year.
"The Albanese Government is committed to strengthening Medicare and making it easier and cheaper to get quality healthcare through our Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, by tripling the bulk billing incentive and making medicines cheaper."
Quotes attributable to Minister Wells:
"The Northside Medicare UCC us going to make a big difference to our community.
"I know many families who have had to wait long hours at the Prince Charles Hospital emergency department for non-life-threatening issues.
"The Northside Medicare UCC will ease pressure on the local ED and be much more convenient for our communities - closer to home, at short notice, and bulk billed under Medicare."
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health, Mental Health, and Ambulance Services Shannon Fentiman:
"Families on Brisbane's northside deserve free, high quality health care close to home - and that's exactly what this new Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will provide.
"Together with the state government's Satellite Hospital Program across the south-east, Medicare Urgent Care Clinics will ease pressures on our busy hospitals.
"It's terrific to see that after a decade of underinvestment in primary care by the former LNP federal government, Australians now have a government that takes healthcare seriously."
