Delivering more Medicare Urgent Care Clinics in Western Australia

The Australian Government is delivering on its commitment to deliver a further 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics with tender processes commencing to identify providers to operate the Bateman, Ellenbrook and Mirrabooka clinics in Western Australia.

The new Bateman, Ellenbrook and Mirrabooka Medicare Urgent Care Clinics will be open over extended hours, seven days a week, with no appointment needed, and patients are fully bulk billed.
 
These clinics will take pressure off local hospitals, including the Fiona Stanley Hospital, St John of God Midland Hospital and Royal Perth Hospital, and will fill an important gap in services across extended hours and over the weekend.

A tender process led by Western Australia Primary Health Association has commenced to identify providers to operate the new Medicare UCCs North and South of Perth.

This tender process will be open to general practices, community health centres and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services.

These new clinics will give West Australians more access to high-quality and free walk-in health care.

The Medicare Urgent Care Clinic program supports a national approach to reducing the number of people attending emergency departments for urgent, but non-life threatening, conditions.

Ninety Medicare Urgent Care Clinics have opened across Australia, which have already seen more than 1.8 million presentations since the first sites opened in June 2023, including almost 200,000 presentations to the eight established Western Australian Medicare Urgent Care Clinics.

Around 28 per cent of the presentations to a Western Australia Medicare Urgent Care Clinics have taken place on the weekend.

Of the visits that took place during weekdays at Western Australian Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, 20 per cent of the presentations have taken place at 5 pm or later.

And with almost one in three visits treating a young person under 15, Western Australia Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are giving families timely health care and peace of mind.

The Albanese Government will establish six new Medicare Urgent Care Clinics in Western Australia, as part of its commitment to deliver 50 new clinics in 2025–26.

Tender processes for the remaining WA clinics at Geraldton, Mundaring, and Yanchep will open next month.

Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:

“West Australians know that Medicare Urgent Care Clinics have been a game changer for their community.

“Almost 200,000 West Australians have already visited one of the eight current Medicare Urgent Care Clinics.

“That’s why the Albanese Government decided to deliver another six in Western Australia, so more people can get the care they need instead of waiting in a hospital emergency department.”

Quotes attributable to Dr Anne Aly MP, Member for Cowan:

“When I speak with people in Mirrabooka and the surrounding suburbs, they tell me how much they need access to free urgent medical care close to home. The Albanese Government is delivering exactly that.

“There have been more than 25,000 presentations at the Urgent Care Clinic in Morley, soon families in Mirrabooka will be able to access the same services close to where they live.”

Quotes attributable to Tania Lawrence MP, Member for Hasluck:

“The Ellenbrook Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will be a game changer for our local community.
 
“We have already seen the impact of the Morley and Midland Urgent Care Clinics when it comes to delivering care for non-life-threatening injuries.

“One third of the presentations to the existing Urgent Care Clinics in Hasluck are for children, so I know parents in the Ellenbrook catchment will be relieved to have fully bulk billed care closer to home.”

Quotes attributable to Sam Lim MP, Member for Tangney:

“A new Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Bateman will be so meaningful to the Tangney community. It’s about making sure people can get the quality care they need when they need it and using only their Medicare card.

“I’ve had many families ask me about a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Tangney and I’m looking forward to seeing this clinic materialise.”