The Albanese Government is delivering for people in Northern Sydney with more access to fully bulk billed care for their urgent health needs, as the existing Top Ryde Urgent Care Service becomes a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic.
The Ryde Medicare UCC will offer extended hours and additional services to deliver urgent care to locals and reduce pressure on the Ryde Hospital.
The existing state-funded service will transition to the Commonwealth program, ensuring a national approach to reducing the number of people attending emergency departments for urgent, but non-life threatening, conditions.
In 2022-23, almost half of the presentations to Ryde Hospital were for semi-urgent or non-urgent matters.
The clinic is one of a further 29 to be established around the country as part of a $227 million expansion of the Medicare UCC Program announced in the 2024-25 Budget.
The 58 existing Medicare UCCs across Australia have already seen more than 400,000 presentations since the first sites opened in June 2023.
This includes more than 65,000 visits to the 14 existing clinics in NSW - located in Albury, Batemans Bay, Campbelltown, Cessnock, Coffs Harbour, Peninsula (Gosford), Lake Haven, Lismore, Penrith, Maroubra, Rooty Hill, Tamworth, Westmead and Wollongong.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
"Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are already delivering for people in New South Wales.
"There have been over 63,000 presentations to the existing 14 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics in NSW, meaning patients have been able to receive urgent care quickly and for free.
"Moving the existing service in Ryde under the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic umbrella will mean better services for locals and deliver a consistent and targeted approach to reducing demand on busy emergency departments.
"Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are a key part of the Albanese Government's commitment to strengthen Medicare and make health care more accessible and affordable.
"Medicare UCCs have treated thousands of Australians who would either face a long wait in the emergency department or who simply put off getting treatment at all.
Quotes attributable to Jerome Laxale, Member for Bennelong:
"Extra services to close gaps and reduce costs for Australians are a hallmark of the Albanese Government's approach to health care."
"The Top Ryde Urgent Care Service is delivering great care for locals, and they'll be able to do even more when they become a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in the coming months.
"The Albanese Government is delivering more clinics, in more locations, and all people need is their Medicare card."
