ANTHONY ALBANESE MP
PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA

MARK BUTLER MP
MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGEING
MINISTER FOR DISABILITY AND THE NDIS 

SENATOR CORINNE MULHOLLAND
SENATOR FOR QUEENSLAND

The Albanese Government has delivered on its election commitment to open an additional 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics with the final clinic opening in Caloundra, Queensland today.

Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are providing cost of living relief, helping families access healthcare without the cost, providing free Medicare-backed care close to home.

The opening is a historic milestone meaning all 137 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics promised by the Government are now operating around the country.

Clinics provide free Medicare-backed care for urgent, but not life-threatening, illnesses and injuries. No appointment needed. No out-of-pocket costs. And they are here to stay.

The Albanese Government delivered a major Medicare investment in the Budget, making Medicare Urgent Care Clinics a permanent part of Australia’s health system.

The significant health measure includes an additional $1.8 billion over five years from 2025-26 and $525.6 million a year ongoing from 2030-31 to keep Medicare Urgent Care Clinics open and free.

There have been more than 3.1 million visits to Medicare Urgent Care Clinics across Australia since the first one opened in June 2023, with projections to deliver 2 million instances of care per year with all clinics now open.

More than one in four of these presentations were patients aged under 15 years old, more than one in four were on weekends, and one in four were after 5pm on weekdays when many GPs are not available.

A recent interim evaluation report of the Medicare Urgent Care Clinics Program found: 

• Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are achieving their purpose in delivering urgent care services and reducing equivalent Emergency Department presentations by around 10% nationally.
• 45% of patients reported that they would have sought care in an Emergency Department or called an ambulance if the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic was not available. This increased to 48% in the afterhours period.
• Patients are satisfied with the care they receive, and staff enjoy the variety of working across both general practice and urgent care.

With the opening of the final clinic, four out of five Australians will now live within a 20-minute drive of a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic.

The Caloundra Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will be the 26th clinic to open in Queensland, located at Shop 1, Little Mountain Central Shopping Centre, 65 Pierce Avenue, Little Mountain.