The Charlestown Medical and Dental Centre in Charlestown, Australia, is due to open a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (UCC) later this month.
Located at 316 Charlestown Road, the Charlestown Medicare UCC will cater to urgent but non-life-threatening conditions such as cuts, infections and sprains.
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The clinic will operate extended hours, seven days a week, ensuring that residents have access to care when they need it most.
It is intended to alleviate pressure on the John Hunter Hospital, where more than 35% of visits in 2022–23 were for semi-urgent or non-urgent conditions.
Australia Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler said: “People living in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie will be able to get the care they need from doctors and nurses without having to wait at the John Hunter.
“The Charlestown Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will make a significant difference to the local community, by providing high quality, accessible care outside of normal GP hours without having to reach for your wallet.”
Since the first Medicare UCCs opened in New South Wales last year, there have been nearly 140,000 presentations at the 20 existing clinics.
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By GlobalDataAlmost one-third of these visits occurred on weekends, while 20% were after 5pm on weekdays.
Member of Parliament for Newcastle Sharon Claydon said: “I am proud to be part of a Labor Government that is working hard to address healthcare gaps in our region.
“We’ve already restored GP Access After Hours at the John Hunter Hospital to its full operational hours and reopened the clinic at the Calvary Mater Hospital.
“We are now opening a new Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Charlestown, so that Novocastrians will have even more access to free, quality primary healthcare, where the only card you need is your Medicare card.”
Earlier this year, the state government of Tasmania released tenders to invite interested companies to operate a new Medicare UCC in Bridgewater, Hobart.
