The Albanese Government is delivering Bendigo better access to free, high‑quality health care, with a new Medicare Urgent Care Clinic now open.
The Bendigo Medicare Urgent Care Clinic is available for patients who need immediate care for non‑life threatening conditions like sprains, infections, rashes or cuts.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers MP and the Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters MP today visited the Bendigo Medicare Urgent Care Clinic to officially open it.
There have been more than 800 presentations to the Bendigo Medicare Urgent Care Clinic since it started operation last month.
This is good news for Bendigo Hospital, where one in three presentations to the emergency room have been for non‑urgent and semi‑urgent issues - saving families time, and making sure busy healthcare workers can prioritise patients who badly need beds.
The largest proportion of presentations to the Bendigo Medicare Urgent Care Clinic have been children, with over 1 in 3 visits from individuals aged under 18 years old. Almost half of these visits occurred after hours.
Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are open seven days a week, with no appointment needed, and importantly all patients are fully bulk billed.
Located at 121 Arnold Street, the Bendigo Medicare Urgent Care Clinic is open 10am‑10pm Friday through Tuesday and 10am‑6pm Wednesday and Thursday.
There are now 76 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics open across Australia, which have seen more than 802,000 presentations since the first sites opened in June 2023.
This includes over 177,000 presentations to Victorian Medicare Urgent Care Clinics.
Quotes attributable to Treasurer Jim Chalmers:
"The Bendigo Urgent Care Clinic is already making a difference in the health of the people of Bendigo by providing cheaper and easier access to a doctor and easing pressure on Bendigo Hospital.
"From bruises to burns, coughs, colds or cuts, you can head straight to the clinic, free of charge, rather than to the emergency department.
"This Clinic is delivering quicker care close to home for lots of people, while freeing up the hardworking doctors and nurses at the hospital to focus on saving lives."
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
"The Bendigo Medicare Urgent Care Clinic is a game changer.
"Already it's delivering urgent care to locals and taking pressure off the Bendigo Emergency Department.
"The Bendigo Medicare Urgent Care Clinic is open extended hours, seven days a week and importantly all patients need is their Medicare card, not their credit card."
Quotes attributable to Lisa Chesters MP:
"Bendigo is thriving and growing and it's important that health infrastructure keeps pace.
"The Albanese Government is delivering better access to urgent care, free of charge and with no appointment needed.
"There's very limited access to after‑hours GPs in our region and the Bendigo Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will help ensure that people who need non‑emergency care aren't sitting at the ED."
