The Albanese Government is delivering on its promise to strengthen Medicare for the Hunter with a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (Medicare UCC) to give better access to high quality and fully bulk billed health care.
From late November, the Medicare UCC will open its doors with the Charlestown Medical and Dental Centre selected to operate the clinic, following an expressions of interest process led by the Hunter New England Central Coast Primary Health Network.
Located at 316 Charlestown Road, the Charlestown Medicare UCC will provide care for urgent, but not life-threatening conditions, such as cuts, infections, and sprains. The clinic will be open extended hours, seven days a week.
The clinic will ease pressure on the John Hunter Hospital, with more than 35 per cent of visits to the hospital in 2022-23 for semi-urgent or non-urgent conditions.
There have been almost 140,000 presentations to the 20 existing Medicare UCCs in New South Wales since the first clinics opened in the state in July 2023.
Almost a third of these visits were on a weekend, and 20 per cent were after 5pm on a weekday.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
"The Albanese Government is delivering on its commitment to strengthen Medicare and make it easier for people to see a doctor.
"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."
Quotes attributable to Member for Shortland, Minister Conroy:
"Many people in my Lake Macquarie community have made it clear that access to affordable, good quality healthcare is their number one priority."
"The Charlestown Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will address gaps in the health services available locally and reduce pressure on the John Hunter Hospital.
"People in our community will be able to access fully bulk billed medical care at the clinic without needing to make an appointment.
"Through saving the Hunter's GP Access After Hours service, expanding the number of GPs who can practice here, and establishing Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, the Albanese Government is demonstrating our commitment to improving the health outcomes of people in our community."
Quotes attributable to Member for Newcastle, Sharon Claydon MP:
"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."
Quotes attributable to Member for Hunter, Dan Repacholi MP:
"The addition of another Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in the Hunter will give residents another option to get timely access to care and will help reduce pressure on our struggling public hospital system.
"I know the clinic in Cessnock has had over 10,000 visits in the first 12 months, and the people around the Lake Macquarie part of the Hunter electorate will now have another choice."
