The Albanese Government is delivering on its commitment to Brisbane Southsiders, with the Brisbane South Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (Medicare UCC) opening on 23 October 2023.
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.
On average, 30 per cent of presentations to the Mater Hospital Brisbane, Queensland Children's and Princess Alexandra Hospital emergency departments are for non-urgent or semi-urgent care.
The South Brisbane clinic will join four clinics that are already operational in Ipswich, Logan, Murrumba Downs (Redcliffe), and Toowoomba, which also opens on 23 October 2023. The final six Queensland Medicare UCCs in Bundaberg, Cairns, Gold Coast, Northern Brisbane, Rockhampton and Townsville, will all open before the end of the year.
The Australian 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 South Brisbane Medicare UCC is going to make a big difference to patients across the South Brisbane area.
"Local communities will be able to walk in, see a doctor or nurse and access imaging and pathology services.
"This clinic will ease pressure on the Mater Hospital, Queensland Children's Hospital, and the Princess Alexandra 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 through our Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, by tripling the bulk billing incentive and making medicines cheaper."
Quotes attributable to Senator Watt:
"The South Brisbane Medicare UCC will mean people in this community who need urgent but not acute care, can get it quickly and cheaply, even if it's outside standard hours - and all they'll need is their Medicare card.
"I know many families who have had to wait long hours at the emergency department for non-life-threatening issues.
"This Medicare UCC will ease pressure on local EDs 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:
"Brisbane families deserve free, high quality health care close to home - and that's exactly what the 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 so nice to see that after a decade of underfunding by the former LNP federal government, we now have a government that takes healthcare - particularly preventative healthcare - seriously."
