The Albanese Government is delivering another Medicare Urgent Care Clinic for WA with people in Perth's south-eastern suburbs soon able to walk in for fully bulk billed urgent care from highly trained doctors and nurses.
The Armadale Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, chosen in close consultation with the Western Australian Government, will improve access to care for urgent, but non-life threatening conditions and will reduce pressure on the busy Armadale Health Service.
In 2022-23, over 40 per cent of presentations to the Armadale Health Service were for semi-urgent or non-urgent conditions.
The Armadale Urgent Care Clinic will be commissioned by the WA Primary Health Alliance with an Expression of Interest process to be undertaken in the coming months.
The clinic is one of an additional 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.
Whether it's a cut, sprained ankle, viral infection or rash, the Armadale Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will be equipped to treat a range of conditions and injuries that need urgent attention but aren't life threatening. It'll be bulk billed and open extended hours, seven days a week.
Since the first Urgent Care Clinics opened in WA in June 2023, there's been more than 400,000 presentations to the Clinics around the country. This includes more than 45,000 visits to Western Australian clinics located in Rockingham, Beeliar, Midland, Clarkson, Perth City, Broome and Bunbury.
With nearly half of the presentations in WA outside of standard business hours, the clinics are filling an important gap in services across extended hours and over the weekend.
Over 1 in 4 visits to the WA UCCs are for kids under the age of 15.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
"Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are already delivering for West Australians.
"Tens of thousands of patients have been able to receive urgent care quickly and for free.
"A Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Armadale will mean more West Australians can access high quality urgent care without having to wait in a hospital emergency department."
Quotes attributable to Minister Keogh:
"It's been increasingly difficult for people in our community to access urgent health care, with many left waiting a long time in emergency departments to be seen by a doctor over the weekend or after hours.
"I'm also really concerned to also hear of people choosing not to seek help altogether, out of fear of a big bill for an after-hours GP.
"I'm so glad to be part of a Government that recognises the need to support our outer suburbs with free urgent care, delivering it right here in Armadale."
Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister Kearney:
"Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are a real success story. They're innovative and just make sense. I know this will make a real difference to the people of Armadale.
"Whether it's a toddler with a fever, a broken finger, UTI or virus, people across south-eastern Perth will be able to walk in and get quality treatment, quickly and for free."
"Medicare Urgent Care Clinics aren't just making a real difference for families across Western Australia, they're also helping taking the load off emergency departments, leaving hardworking doctors and nurses with more capacity for critical cases."
