The Orange community has benefited from more than 7,300 visits to the Orange Urgent Care Service since opening last year, which is easing pressure on the emergency department and improving access to timely non-emergency healthcare.
The GP-based service has helped the local community to receive care quickly for conditions which can be safely and appropriately treated outside of the regions' busy emergency departments. These include colds, coughs and flu, sprains and sporting injuries and ear, nose, and throat conditions such as earaches.
The Orange Urgent Care Service is open 365 days a year, from 8am to 8pm, and is staffed by general practitioners and nurses with important virtual and on-site diagnostic services including radiology and pathology.
To access the service, patients should call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222. A registered nurse will assess the patient's condition and then discuss with the patient the best place for their care needs. This may include an appointment at the Orange Urgent Care Service, a virtual care appointment with the Virtual Urgent Care or virtualGP services or escalating their care to other services like NSW Ambulance if required.
Health care provided at Orange Urgent Care Service is bulk billed.
The Orange Urgent Care Service is being delivered in partnership with the Western NSW Primary Health Network.
NSW Health has partnered with primary health networks to deliver additional Urgent Care Services right across the state, in an effort to ease pressure on busy hospital EDs and ensure the people of NSW continue to receive care at the right time and place.
The NSW Government has committed $100 million to deliver urgent care services for a further two years as part of the NSW Government's $480.7 million Emergency Department (ED) relief package announced in the 2024-25 NSW Budget.
Quote attributable to Minister for Health, Ryan Park:
"Urgent Care Services like this one in Orange are an example of the NSW Government's commitment to reducing pressure on emergency departments, while ensuring patients receive timely care in safe and appropriate settings.
"This service has diverted thousands of unnecessary presentations to the Orange emergency department, which is not only a great outcome for staff but also patients.
"We don't want to see people and their loved ones waiting around emergency departments for lengthy periods of time if they don't need to and this service gives patients fast access to the urgent care they need."
Quotes attributable to Member for Orange, Phil Donato:
"It's fantastic to see thousands of patients have already been able to access more appropriate, timely care as a result of the Orange Urgent Care Service.
"This is an incredible service for people living in Orange, giving residents and their families access to advice and treatment outside of a busy emergency department for urgent, but not life-threatening, illnesses and injuries."
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