The Albanese Labor Government is delivering on its commitment to South Australians with a provider for the Morphett Vale Medicare Urgent Care Clinic finalised, following an Expression of Interest process.
Morphett Vale Family Practice will be established as the Morphett Vale Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (UCC) and is expected to start seeing patients in December this year.
This Medicare UCC delivers on Labor’s commitment to make it easier for South Australians to get the urgent treatment they need – from highly qualified doctors and nurses – while taking pressure off Noarlunga Hospital.
The Medicare UCC will be open for extended hours, seven days a week, and offer walk-in care that is fully bulk billed.
More than 45 per cent of presentations to the Noarlunga Hospital are for non-urgent or semi-urgent care.
This clinic is one of the five Medicare UCCs to be established in South Australia. Medicare UCCs are currently operating in Elizabeth and Marion, while Medicare UCCs in western Adelaide, Mount Gambier and Morphett Vale will open before the end of the year.
The Albanese Government will continue to work closely with Primary Health Networks and the Malinauskas Government to deliver the Medicare UCCs.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
“The Morphett Vale Medicare UCC is going to make a big difference to patients down south.
“It will mean locals who need urgent but non-life threatening care, can get it quickly even if it’s outside standard hours – and all they’ll need is their Medicare card.
“The Albanese Government is committed to strengthening Medicare and making it easier and cheaper to get quality healthcare, by tripling the bulk billing incentive and making medicines cheaper.”
Quotes attributable to Minister Rishworth
“I know many families who have had to wait long hours at the emergency department for non-life-threatening issues.
“This clinic in my electorate of Kingston will ease pressure on Noarlunga Hospital, allowing it to concentrate on higher priority emergencies.
“This Medicare UCC will be much more convenient for our communities – closer to home, at short notice, and bulk billed under Medicare.”
Quotes attributable to Minister Picton:
“The Morphett Vale Medicare UCC will help to ease pressure of lower priority cases on local emergency departments and be much more convenient for southern suburbs residents.
“I know that many residents will welcome this alternative to attending an emergency department.
“Locals will be able to walk in, see a doctor or nurse and access imaging and pathology services. All of these services will be bulk-billed and come at no additional cost to patients.
“We welcome this investment from the Federal Government into both urgent care centres and increasing bulk billing rates – addressing the lack of primary care that has led to pressure on hospitals like Noarlunga.”
