Federal Representatives visit South Brisbane Medicare Urgent Care Clinic as service nears one-year milestone
Image: Senator Murray Watt and Labor Candidate Renee Coffey at the South Brisbane Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, 6 September 2024.
Brisbane South PHN welcomed Senator Murray Watt, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, and Renee Coffey, Labor Candidate for Griffith, to tour the South Brisbane Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (UCC) on Thursday 6 September 2024, as the service approaches its one-year milestone.
The visit highlighted community demand for the new Medicare UCC, with almost 10,000 urgent care visits recorded since opening in October 2023, helping to ease pressures on nearby emergency departments by delivering free walk-in care, 7 days a week, for urgent health conditions.
Image: Staff show Senator Murray Watt and Renee Coffey around the South Brisbane Medicare UCC.
Commissioned by Brisbane South PHN with federal funding, the South Brisbane Medicare UCC, along with the Logan (Browns Plains) Medicare UCC, offers fully bulk-billed services for non-life-threatening conditions, including minor injuries and illnesses, and is accessible without an appointment. The clinics are designed to complement local general practice services by supporting walk-in appointments and after-hours care for urgent conditions. The clinics also provide patient discharge summaries and referrals back to GPs for ongoing management, fostering a more integrated primary care network.
“The success of our Medicare UCCs demonstrates the value of having local insights into community needs when commissioning and co-designing healthcare solutions to respond to those needs,” said Mike Bosel, CEO of Brisbane South PHN.
As we approach the one-year milestone of these important new urgent care services, Brisbane South PHN remains dedicated to collaborating with healthcare providers and stakeholders to ensure high-quality, accessible care for all is provided across our region.
“We are excited to soon be announcing the details of a third Medicare Urgent Care Clinic to open later this year, bringing free urgent care services closer to people living in south-western Brisbane,” said Mike Bosel.
Full details of the new Medicare Urgent Care Clinic set to open in south-western Brisbane will be released in coming weeks. Subscribe to our Primary Health Matters weekly email, to be among the first to hear the announcement.
More information for general practices
Key information for general practices about Medicare UCCs in our region: bsphn.org.au/news/medicare-urgent-care-clinics-medicare-uccs-key-information-for-general-practices