PINKY NEVEN, HOST: Pinky and Macca for Breakfast on Triple M Central Queensland and we welcome to the studio Minister Emma McBride. How are you this morning?
ASSISTANT MINISTER EMMA MCBRIDE: Pinky, it’s so great to be back and good to hear you’re from Brissy today.
NEVEN: [Laughs] Yeah, I can’t actually see you in person but yes, I am still here with you. Now, you’ve got some really important news to share with us, which I’m really excited too about, with regards to the expansion of headspace for Rockhampton and Gladstone for our youth.
MCBRIDE: This is such good news for young people in Rocky. What it will mean is an extra $1.3 million to be able to relocate and expand. We know that the service in Rockhampton is in demand and we want to make sure that young people aged 12 to 25 can get the support they need locally and quicker. And that's what this $1.3 million boost will do. And also for your listeners across Central Queensland, a boost in funding to both Gladstone and Emerald as well. Because we want to make sure, as someone who grew up in a regional community myself, that young people across the country, but particularly in the regions and more remote parts of Australia, can get the support they need close to home and for free through headspace.
MACCA MCDONALD, HOST: There's always been that concern that regional areas are under serviced, both at a federal and a state level. Is that something that you at a federal level are trying to focus on?
MCBRIDE: It really is, Macca, because we know that distress amongst young people has increased significantly. And when headspace was first developed 20 years ago, it was designed for young people experiencing mild to moderate depression or anxiety. Now we see the drivers of distress amongst young people, that distress has doubled in young Australians. And we want to make sure that particularly for those living outside our major cities, that help is available for them when they seek it and close to home. You mentioned that you grew up in Maitland. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say that.
MCDONALD: [Talks over] Don't tell the listeners. Cheese and rice.
NEVEN: They know already.
MCDONALD: They’ll judge me.
NEVEN: They know already.
MCBRIDE: They know already. But, you know, as someone who grew up in Wyong, you grew up in Maitland, at the time there wasn't services for young people and it meant that they had to wait too long or that distress ended up in crisis and we want to make sure that changes. So, you know, boosting funding to the three headspaces across Central Queensland and also as part of our election commitment, we're going to have more outreach services to more remote parts of Australia so wherever young people live, support is closer to home for them.
NEVEN: And now you're heading down the Bruce today to Gladstone for an opening.
MCBRIDE: Yes. A new Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, which will be in Gladstone Central. I'm going to get Macca to help me to pronounce it, Goondoon Street.
MCDONALD: [Laughs] Goondoon Street.
MCBRIDE: Yes.
MCDONALD: I was calling it Goondoon. It's Goondoon, so you got it pretty close.
MCBRIDE: Goondoon. OK.
[Laughter]
So, yes, so we've seen since the Medicare Urgent Care opened in 2023 in Rocky, more than 29,000 local people have been able to walk in without an appointment to access urgent care for free with their Medicare card, and that will now be available to people in Gladstone.
MCDONALD: I will ask around that one too with urgent care clinics. For people who haven't utilised them, a lot of people just don't understand how they work and what they are. Can you give us a bit of a rundown for the listener?
MCBRIDE: Yeah, so what it will mean is someone will be able to walk into the clinic, so they don't need an appointment. They'll be able to be seen by a specialist GP and a nurse. All of the urgent care also have pathology and medical imaging, so that wraparound care that they need in the one spot and for free. And we've seen across the country now 2.2 million visits to the urgent cares, and 94 that we've got up and running. And what we're seeing is that about 1 in 4 visits are parents with young people under 15 and also 1 in 4 visits are out of what would be normal GP hours.
So the one in Gladstone will be open from 8 until 8, seven days a week. So if you've had an accident or an injury, a child spiked a temperature, they've got a rash, you've had a sporting injury, you can go to the urgent care and be seen and treated for free. And they're taking pressure off emergency departments. We know that the local emergency department in Gladstone, about more than 50 per cent of the presentations are what are classified non-urgent or semi-urgent, which will mean that those people now will be able to go to the urgent care. And then the emergency department will be able to see the more serious presentations and the more life-threatening situations sooner.
MCDONALD: Okay, so it's like an alleviation for EDs to bring them for slightly less problematic issues.
MCBRIDE: So if you're too sick for the doctor but not sick enough for the emergency department, go to your urgent care clinic.
MCDONALD: Cool.
NEVEN: Yeah, it's triage before you actually get to the emergency department.
MCBRIDE: And we know, I worked in a busy public hospital as head of the pharmacy department. We know how much pressure staff are under in our emergency departments of our hospitals. And if we can relieve some of that pressure so they can see people who are sicker sooner, then that's good for the whole of the community.
MCDONALD: Yeah, outstanding.
NEVEN: Are you looking forward to Christmas?
MCBRIDE: I am. What about you, Pinky? I hear you've got family in Brisbane.
NEVEN: Yes, we've already done an early Christmas, so I'll be back in CQ for one there.
MCBRIDE: Yes.
NEVEN: But Macca, what are you up to? He's camping. He hates camping, but he's going anyway because that's what you do.
MCBRIDE: It's a family tradition.
NEVEN: You're obligated to family.
MCBRIDE: It's nostalgia, Macca. Just think of that.
[Laughter]
MCDONALD: I don't know why. It's just horrendous.
[Laughter]
NEVEN: Take the rid. What about yourself?
MCDONALD: I grew up in Maitland. You'd think a tent's a blessing, I tell you. What about you?
MCBRIDE: So I'm one of 8 children and I've got 14 nieces and nephews. And controversially, last year there was introduced a Christmas draw for all of the kids. But it meant previously we were – because we had this tradition where the youngest opened their present first through to the oldest. And so, yes, controversial, but very welcome, particularly from Aunty Emma. But I'm looking forward to being home on the coast with all of my nieces and nephews at Christmas.
MCDONALD: The draw of names, just getting one, it alleviates it so much.
NEVEN: Good old ageism. Anyway, thanks so much for coming in this morning and sharing some really positive news there for our health services. It's really great to see you. Minister Emma McBride.
MCBRIDE: Thanks, Pinky. Thanks, Macca.