13 December 2023
Residents of Campbelltown and surrounding areas needing immediate medical care for non-life threatening conditions, can now walk in to the new Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (Medicare UCC) at Campbelltown Medical and Dental Centre, 296 Queen Street.
Centrally located across from Campbelltown Mall, the Urgent Care Clinic opened yesterday and offers free (bulk-billed) care from 8am to 6pm, seven days a week, including public holidays, with no appointment required.
The clinic provides care for urgent health conditions which cannot wait for your usual GP but do not require emergency department attention, including broken bones, wounds, minor burns and infections and illnesses such as urinary tract infections and gastroenteritis.
South Western Sydney PHN Chief Executive Officer, Dr Keith McDonald PhD, said the clinic gave the community better and more appropriate access to the healthcare that is right for them.
“The Urgent Care Clinic at Campbelltown Medical and Dental makes it easier for local residents to access high quality care from highly trained GPs and nurses while freeing up emergency departments to focus on life threatening emergencies,’’ Dr McDonald said.
“Local data shows up to a third of emergency department presentations in 2022 were triaged as category four or five meaning they were non-life threatening and could potentially be treated by a GP.
“Patients can walk-in without an appointment or referral, from 8am to 8pm – no need to wait in a hospital emergency department.”
The Medicare Urgent Care service will be delivered by ForHealth, who operate Campbelltown Medical and Dental.
ForHealth Director of Operations, Simon Taylor-Cross, said the Campbelltown site was the organisation’s sixth Medicare Urgent Care Clinic to open in NSW.
“It has been great to work in partnership with both state and federal governments to support the opening of a much-needed Medicare Urgent Care Clinic for the Campbelltown community,” Mr Taylor-Cross said.
“We have started to see the many benefits of this model across Australia with nine out of 10 patients highly recommending the service. Patients typically begin treatment within 35 minutes of their arrival and have no out-of-pocket costs.
“We look forward to continuing collaborative work within the community towards providing accessible, quality care.”
The commissioning and establishment of the Campbelltown Medicare Urgent Care Clinic involved close collaboration between South Western Sydney PHN, the Commonwealth and the NSW Government.
The clinic is one of the 14 Medicare UCCs across NSW located in Albury, Batemans Bay, Cessnock, Coffs Harbour, Gosford, Lake Haven, Lismore, Maroubra, Penrith, Rooty Hill, Tamworth, Westmead and Wollongong.
Read more about Medicare Urgent Care Clinics: Medicare Urgent Care Clinics | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
Read more about Campbelltown Medicare UCC: Campbelltown Medicare Urgent Care Clinic | Open 7 Days | Free
L-R: ForHealth Director of Operations Simon Taylor-Cross, SWSPHN A/Director of Planning and Performance Domenic Zappia, Campbelltown Medical and Dental Centre manager Jackie Plasto, SWSLHD A/Chief Executive Sonia Marshall, Macarthur MP, Dr Michael Freelander and Dr Lahiruwan Somaratne at yesterday’s opening.
