ACT Senator Katy Gallagher and Member for Bean David Smith (back row, second from right) with staff at the Woden Urgent Care Clinic. Photo: Supplied.
Woden joins the Canberra areas to benefit from the opening of a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic.
The Woden Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, located at 33 Colbee Court in Phillip, is now open seven days a week for extended hours.
Launching the clinic’s new service arrangements yesterday (22 December), ACT Senator Katy Gallagher said no appointment would be needed, patients can walk in and all services will be bulk-billed.
“Every Canberran deserves fast, free care when health issues can’t wait but aren’t life-threatening,” she said.
“The new Woden Medicare Urgent Care Clinic delivers exactly that, walk in any day of the week, see a GP-led team, and get bulk-billed care without the stress of an emergency department visit.
“This clinic will ease pressure on Canberra Hospital and give families the practical support they need, while strengthening Medicare right here in the ACT.”
About 44 per cent of presentations at the Canberra Hospital in 2023-24 were for semi-urgent or non-urgent conditions.
The Woden clinic will be led by general practitioners and complement the existing network of five Medicare Urgent Care Clinics across Canberra, including Gungahlin, Belconnen, Dickson, Weston Creek, and Tuggeranong.
Member for Bean, Labor’s David Smith, said the clinic’s highly trained doctors and nurses were equipped to treat a range of conditions and injuries that need urgent attention but aren’t life threatening, including cuts, viral infections, or a sprained ankle.
“This GP-led clinic will make a real difference for locals by providing convenient, bulk-billed urgent care right here in the heart of Woden,” he said.
“The opening of the clinic is a huge win for our community, taking the pressure off the emergency department at the Canberra Hospital.
“People will be able to walk in, get quality care, and head home without an ED wait or an out-of-pocket bill.”
Around Australia, more than 100 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics have now been established as part of the Federal Government’s commitment to deliver more Medicare Urgent Care Clinics across the country.
Medicare Urgent Care Clinics have already seen more than 2.2 million presentations since the first sites opened in June 2023, including more than 279,000 presentations to Medicare Urgent Care Clinics in the Australian Capital Territory.
The aim is for four out of five Australians to live within a 20 minutes’ drive from their local clinic.
New data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows the clinics across the ACT are easing pressure on Canberra’s hospitals.
Non-urgent presentations to Canberra emergency departments have dropped by 3.9 per cent.
The Woden Medicare Urgent Care Clinic is commissioned by the Capital Health Network, the Primary Health Network for the Australian Capital Territory.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler described the Woden clinic as a “game-changer for families” in Canberra.
“The Woden Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will ease pressure on the emergency department at the Canberra Hospital and free up staff at the hospital to provide care to people with more serious conditions,” the Minister said.
“This clinic is a key part of the Albanese Government’s commitment to strengthen Medicare and make health care more accessible and affordable.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also made a big deal of saying visits to all GPs should only require “your Medicare card and not your credit card” and continues with the catchphrase despite ample evidence of credit cards still being needed by most for a visit to the doctor.
