The Australian Government is delivering for residents in Sydney’s south-west with two Medicare Urgent Care Clinics (Medicare UCC), opening in Fairfield and Liverpool.
Locals will be able to access care seven days a week, over extended hours, with no appointment required. Importantly, the clinics will be completely bulk billed meaning more people can access high-quality care quickly, at no cost – all they’ll need is their Medicare card.
The Fairfield region was chosen in consultation with the New South Wales Government to help meet the needs of the local community and ease pressure on Fairfield Hospital.
The existing state-run Liverpool Urgent Care Service will also become a Medicare UCC, ensuring a national approach to reducing the number of people attending emergency departments for urgent, but non-life threatening, conditions.
Both clinics will provide treatment for a range of urgent, but not life-threatening, conditions such as sprains, infections or cuts.
These Medicare UCCs will ease pressure on Fairfield and Liverpool Hospitals.
In 2022-23, 55 per cent of all presentations to Fairfield Hospital, and 23 per cent at Liverpool Hospital were for semi-urgent or non-urgent care.
Both clinics will be commissioned by the South Western Sydney Primary Health Network.
An expression of Interest process will be undertaken to determine the exact location for the Fairfield Medicare UCC in the coming months.
Since the first Medicare UCCs opened in June 2023, they have received more than 440,000 visits nationally, with almost 75,000 of these presentations happening in New South Wales.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
“The Australian Government is strengthening Medicare so all Australians can access affordable health care.
“Almost a third of all visits to Medicare UCCs in New South Wales are from people under 15, giving parents peace of mind that when their kid needs urgent care they’ll be seen.
“These clinics will ease pressure on the emergency departments at Fairfield Hospital and Liverpool Hospital, and free staff to provide care to people with more serious conditions.”
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy and Member for McMahon, the Hon Chris Bowen MP:
“We know access to good health services is a top priority for people in McMahon electorate and around Western Sydney.
“By opening a Fairfield Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in the heart of our community, we’re making sure more locals can access free, high-quality medical care, during the day, after school or work, and on weekends, without needing to make an appointment or pay private GP fees.
“The Fairfield Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will be completely bulk billed, all locals need is their Medicare card – not their credit card.”
