Resources

These resources provide information about Medicare UCCs, including:

what a Medicare UCC is
why and when to visit a Medicare UCC
what to expect when you visit a Medicare UCC.

Animated videos

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Transcript

When you need stitches not surgery

If you have a cut not chest pain

Or if you've hurt your hand not your head

That's a case for a bulk billed

Walk-in Medicare Urgent Care Clinic

Find locations and opening hours at

http://health.gov.au/MedicareUCC

That's a case for a Medicare UCC – 30s ad

When you need stitches not surgery. Or if you have hurt your hand, not your head. That’s a case for a bulk billed, walk-in Medicare UCC.

00:55

Transcript

Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are located across Australia and make it easier to access care for urgent, but not life-threatening, illnesses and injuries.

Going to a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic means you don’t have to wait at your local emergency department.

They are:

bulk billed, so bring your Medicare card
walk-in, so you don’t need an appointment or referral
open early and late every day
staffed by GPs and nurses.

Visit your local Medicare Urgent Care Clinic if you have an illness or injury that can’t wait for a regular appointment with a GP, but doesn’t require a trip to hospital.

If you or a loved one has a life-threatening injury or illness, call triple zero or go straight to your nearest emergency department. To find your nearest Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, visit health.gov.au/MedicareUCC.

What do Medicare UCCs offer

When you need stitches not surgery. Or if you have hurt your hand, not your head. That’s a case for a bulk billed, walk-in Medicare UCC.

00:58

Transcript

Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are located across Australia and make it easier to access care for urgent, but not life-threatening, illnesses and injuries. But how do you know what’s urgent and what’s not?

If you have an injury or illness that needs medical attention, there are three questions you can ask yourself before deciding where to go for help.

Is it life-threatening and do I need emergency care?
Is it something a GP or nurse can treat?
Can it wait until I can get an appointment to see my local GP?

If it’s not an emergency but you can’t wait for a regular appointment with your GP … that’s a case for a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic.

Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are open early and late every day, services are bulk billed and you don't need an appointment or referral. To find your nearest Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, visit health.gov.au/MedicareUCC

When should you visit a Medicare UCC

Medicare UCCs are located across Australia, making it easier to access care for urgent, but not life-threatening, illnesses and injuries.

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Video resources

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Hi I'm Bhavana and I have two children and have been living in Australia for 23 years. So last Christmas Eve my eyes started to sting and went red now I didn't need to go to an emergency department and it was out of hours to visit my local GP.

I Googled online and found I could walk into Medicare urgent care clinic without an appointment. Now there was a Medicare urgent care clinic in Rooty Hill and I was seen by a triage nurse and then a doctor within 10 minutes.

It turned out that I only had an allergic reaction and was prescribed over the counter medicines. The pharmacy was just across the street to the clinic the service was bulk billed by Medicare and I believe this is the best thing ever for communities to have access to urgent medical care when the illness is not life-threatening and you

can't wait to see your local GP.

Bhavana's story

Bhavana shares her experience of visiting a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (Medicare UCCs) when her eye started to sting after hours. Medicare UCCs are located across Australia, making it easier to access care for urgent, but not life-threatening, illnesses and injuries.

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I'm Teresa. I'm 66 years old. I like to spend lots of time with my children. Well, I had a difficult moment when I was waiting for the train in Redfern.

When I tried to board the train, I stumbled and my right leg slipped into the gap between the platform and the door. My eldest son, Herman, knew about the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, so the clinic seemed like the most appropriate place to go rather than a hospital.

It was something that had to be taken care of urgently, but it wasn't an emergency. When we arrived at the clinic, we were treated with great kindness by the receptionist and put on the list to be seen by a doctor.

The nurse called my name and then took me to the first room where they examined my injury and cleaned it up before the GP came into the room. Because There was metal involved in the injury, there was the risk of an infection.

That was something the nurse brought up, and there was discussion about getting vaccinated against tetanus. When we spoke to the doctor, I was treated with the same caring, kind attitude.

It made me feel as if my health was important, even though he sees many people every day.

Teresa's story

Teresa shares her experience of visiting a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (Medicare UCC) after injuring herself at a train station. Medicare UCCs are located across Australia, making it easier to access care for urgent, but not life-threatening, illnesses and injuries.

1:53

Transcript

At the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, we get a lot of questions about what we can and can't do.

Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are for everybody. It's a place where people who need to be seen today can be seen today.

Patients who have urgent cases but not urgent enough for the hospital. So we are that in between.

Could be burns, you might have broken something, you're bleeding, and you need help.

We're a free bulk-billed clinic that take walk-ins.

You'll be triaged on arrival, and we will assess how urgent your need is to see the GP.

You won't be seen in order that you arrive. You'll be seen in the order of the urgency.

They'll be seen by a highly trained GP or nurse. And we can also organise tests such as pathology or imaging if required.

Medications would be prescribed that are urgently required.

And thereafter, we refer you back to your GP for management.

So, if you're not sure about coming to Urgent Care, I'd recommend looking at the government resources that are online.

They can still phone the Urgent Care Clinic, ask the questions that need to be asked.

If you think that you need to be seen, please come here. We'll triage you, assess you, and we'll let you know what you should do.

So, there are a number of things that can't be treated in a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic.

If you needed a mental health care plan or your routine immunisations, those types of things, we would refer you back to your GP for. But if it's a minor infection and injury especially, it's a great option to consider.

Find your nearest Medicare Urgent Care Clinic at health.gov.au/MedicareUCC.

Frequently asked questions

Medicare Urgent Care Clinics (Medicare UCCs) are located across Australia. In this video, Medicare UCC staff answer some frequently asked questions and explain how the clinics make it easier for patients to access care for urgent, but not life-threatening, illnesses and injuries.

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Auslan videos

Watch the Medicare UCC video resources communicated in Auslan.

00:55

Transcript

Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are located across Australia and make it easier to access care for urgent, but not life-threatening, illnesses and injuries.

Going to a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic means you don’t have to wait at your local emergency department.

They are:

bulk billed, so bring your Medicare card
walk-in, so you don’t need an appointment or referral
open early and late every day
staffed by GPs and nurses.

Visit your local Medicare Urgent Care Clinic if you have an illness or injury that can’t wait for a regular appointment with a GP, but doesn’t require a trip to hospital.

What do Medicare Urgent Care Clinics offer?

Medicare UCCs are located across Australia and provide urgent, bulk billed health care.

01:08

Transcript

Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are located across Australia and make it easier to access bulk-billed, urgent health care.

They’re open early and late every day, and you don't need an appointment or referral. Urgent care is when you need medical attention for an illness or injury that can’t wait for a regular appointment with a GP, but doesn’t require care for emergency or life-threatening illnesses or injuries. Things that may need urgent medical care include minor fractures, sprains, minor infections; respiratory illnesses; mild burns; severe stomach pains; or urinary tract infections.

Emergency or life-threatening illnesses or injuries require immediate medical attention by an emergency department or hospital. For example, things like chest pain, breathing difficulties, severe burns, poisoning, loss of feeling, and seizures.

Your local GP is your first point of contact for routine and preventative health care. Some GPs also offer same day appointments. To find your nearest Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, visit health.gov.au/MedicareUCC.