Over two million visits to Medicare Urgent Care Clinics

Australians have clocked up more than two million visits to Labor’s free Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, easing pressure on hospital emergency departments and keeping critical care focused where it is needed most.

New data shows that the average number of visits to Medicare Urgent Care Clinics has risen to almost 26,000 per week nationally, and this number is expected to continue to grow as more clinics open. 

Nearly half of all patients who attended a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic would have used a hospital emergency department if no clinic was available.

The Albanese Labor Government has delivered 90 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics with another 47 to open by mid-next year, which in total will provide services to around two million people every year.

Once all 137 clinics are open, 4 in 5 Australians will live within a 20-minute drive of a clinic according to analysis by the Department of Health and Aged Care. 

Clinics are open for extended hours, filling a vital gap when regular GP practices are often closed. Nearly 30 per cent of visits to Medicare Urgent Care Clinics have taken place on weekends, and 25 per cent of patients have attended after 5pm on weekdays.

Medicare Urgent Care Clinics offer free care with no appointment needed, for illnesses and injuries that are urgent but not life-threatening, such as gastro, mild burns, sports injuries, insect bites, and minor infections. For more information, please visit here.

Quotes attributable to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese: 

“Two million visits is a testament to the value of Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, which are great for patients and vital for taking pressure off hospital emergency departments. 

“When you go to an Urgent Care Clinic, all you will need is your Medicare card, not your credit card.

“Labor created Medicare, and we are building Australia’s future with the largest investment in Medicare in over 40 years."

Quotes attributable to Health Minister Mark Butler: 

“The Albanese Government’s Medicare Urgent Care Clinics have changed the face of health care in Australia.

“The clinics have been a game changer for communities around the country. 

“No wonder over two million Australians have accessed this health care.

“They are taking the pressure off hospitals and delivering fully bulk billed urgent care with no appointment needed.

“All patients need is their Medicare card, not their credit card.”