The Albanese Government is delivering on its commitment to residents of western Sydney with the opening of the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (Medicare UCC) at the Wentworthville Medical and Dental Centre on Station Street.
The current pilot Urgent Care Service pilot that has been operating out of Wentworthville Medical and Dental Centre will transition to be a UCC which will be open extended hours, seven days a week, with no need for an appointment.
All services are fully bulk billed and provided by highly trained doctors and nurses.
The Westmead UCC started seeing patients from Thursday 27 July and will ease pressure on Westmead Hospital.
The Westmead clinic is one of the 14 Medicare UCCs across New South Wales – located in Albury, Batemans Bay, Blacktown, Campbelltown, Cessnock, Coffs Harbour, Gosford, Lismore, Penrith, Randwick, Tamworth, Wollongong and Wyong.
Almost half of all presentations to New South Wales hospital emergency departments and just under a third of presentations at Westmead Hospital emergency are for semi- and non-urgent conditions.
The Medicare UCCs are easing this pressure, so hospitals can concentrate on higher-priority emergencies.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
“The Medicare UCC at Wentworthville Medical and Dental Centre will make it easier for locals to get the urgent care they need without spending hours in a hospital waiting room.
“We’ve worked closely with the New South Wales Government and Western Sydney Primary Health Network to ensure the Medicare UCCs align with local health services and the needs of communities across the state.
“The Westmead Medicare UCC is just another way the Government is strengthening Medicare and making it easier to see a doctor.”
Quotes attributable to Dr Andrew Charlton, Member for Parramatta:
“The Westmead Urgent Care Clinic will be a game changer for families in our local community, enabling families to get the bulk billed care without waiting for an appointment.
“Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are an important missing link in the health system – giving people timely access to care and reducing pressure on the hospital system.
“The new Medicare UCC in Westmead will fill this gap and divert people away from Westmead emergency so its hard-working doctors and nurses can focus on higher-priority emergencies and life-saving care.”
