EOI open for Medicare Urgent Care Clinics

The Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) has opened expressions of interest (EOI) for 14 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics (UCCs) with locations across metropolitan and regional New South Wales.

The 14 Medicare UCCs will provide bulk billed treatment for urgent but non-life-threatening emergencies. They will be open extended hours, seven days a week. Category four and five presentations — non-life-threatening emergencies — make up just over 50% of the total presentations to hospitals in New South Wales.

The EOI will be run by the relevant NSW Primary Health Networks from 2 March 2023, with submissions closing on 12 April 2023, to establish UCCs in: Albury; Batemans Bay; Blacktown; Campbelltown; Cessnock; Coffs Harbour; Gosford; Lismore; Penrith; Randwick; Tamworth; Westmead; Wollongong; and Wyong.

The  Medicare Urgent Care Clinics will allow families to get quality care from a nurse or a doctor without having to wait in a hospital emergency department, said Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care.

The EOI is open to existing general practices, community health centres and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services. Providers who have applied in previous EOI processes in New South Wales do not need to re-apply but should engage with the relevant Primary Health Network, said DoHAC in a statement.

Queensland and South Australia also have EOI open for Medicare UCCs. In Queensland, Medicare UCCs will be established in Bundaberg; Ipswich; Rockhampton; Cairns; Southern Brisbane; Northern Brisbane; Gold Coast; Redcliffe; Logan; Townsville; and Toowoomba.

SA UCC locations include: Adelaide City; Mount Gambier; Outer Northern Adelaide Metro; Outer Southern Adelaide Metro; and Southern Adelaide Metro. Category 4 and 5 presentations to SA hospitals, non-life-threatening emergencies, represent over 40% of presentations to emergency departments. The Medicare UCCs hope to take pressure off stretched emergency departments across the state with patients instead accessing care in their local community.

Submissions for both Qld and SA UCCs will close on 24 March 2023.

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