Medicare Urgent Care Clinics (UCCs)
The Australian Government has invested in 135+ Medicare Urgent Care Clinics nationally, to deliver a new model of care to reduce pressure on hospital emergency departments (EDs).
Anyone can access urgent care at the clinics when they need medical attention for an illness or injury that is non-life-threatening and can be managed without a trip to the ED but cannot wait for an appointment with their regular GP.
Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are:
- bulk-billed (no out-of-pocket costs)
- walk-in service, patients don’t need an appointment or referral to be seen
- open seven days, extended hours, and public holidays
If required, diagnostic services, such as radiology and pathology, will be provided with no out-of-pocket fees to patient.
Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are not a replacement for people seeing their regular GP and patients will always be referred back to their regular GP for follow up care. A patient’s regular GP should be the first point of contact for routine and preventative health care.
Northern Queensland clinic locations
Cairns North
- Cairns North Medicare Urgent Care Clinic opening hours:
- 7 days a week, from 8am – 10pm (including weekends and public holidays)
- 7-11 Mount Milman Drive, Smithfield
- (07) 4033 9950
Cairns South
- Cairns South Medicare Urgent Care Clinic opening hours:
- 7 days a week, from 8am – 10pm (including weekends and public holidays)
- 5b Walker Road, Edmonton
- (07) 4015 2987
- Patients presenting to the Cairns South Medicare Urgent Care Clinic with urgent but not-life-threatening conditions that require an x-ray or ultrasound are now able to access these services on-site with no out-of-pocket costs. Radiology is available from 10am to 6pm seven days a week. Ultrasound is available 10am to 6pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Townsville
- Townsville Medicare Urgent Care Clinic opening hours:
- 7 days a week, from 8am to 10pm (including weekends and public holidays)
- Radiology operating hours:
- 6pm – 9pm Mon – Fri
- 1pm – 4pm weekends
- 86 Thuringowa Drive, Thuringowa Central
- (07) 4434 5090
- Radiology opening hours
- 6pm – 9pm, Monday – Friday
- 1pm – 4pm, weekends
- Free onsite x-ray services available as part of your urgent care consultation. If the clinic’s GP determines you need an x-ray during your visit, it’s done right here, with no out-of-pocket cost.
- Please note: These diagnostic services are only available as part of your urgent care consultation. They cannot be accessed separately without seeing a GP at the clinic.
Mackay
- Mackay Medicare Urgent Care Clinic opening hours:
- 7 days a week, from 8am to 10pm (including weekends and public holidays)
- 11-13 Peel Street, Mackay
- (07) 3167 8791
Choosing the right care
The best place to go for care depends on the level of care required. Read more about conditions and symptoms below.
Routine care or general health care
A patient’s regular GP should continue to be the first point of contact for non-emergency, routine, and preventative health care. Some GPs also offer same day appointments.
Care provided by a regular GP includes:
- diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of diseases and illnesses
- general screening and health checks
- vaccinations and prescriptions
- mental health advice
- family planning advice
- referrals for tests, scans or specialist care.
Medicare UCCs will not see people for things like chronic disease management or preventative health procedures such as cervical screening tests.
Urgent Care Clinic
Urgent care is when you need medical attention for an illness or injury that can be managed without a trip to the emergency department, but cannot wait for a regular appointment with a general practitioner (GP).
Medicare UCCs provide acute episodic care and treatment that does not require a hospital admission. This may include:
- minor infections
- minor fractures, sprains, and sports injuries
- urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- minor cuts
- insect bites and rashes
- minor eye and ear problems
- respiratory illness
- gastroenteritis
- mild burns.
Emergency care
Emergency or life-threatening illnesses and injuries require immediate medical attention and management by an emergency department or hospital.
If a patient has a life-threatening injury or illness, they should not attend a Medicare UCC. Call triple zero (000) or go to your nearest emergency department.
Do not attend a Medicare UCC for:
- chest pain or tightness
- breathing difficulties
- uncontrollable bleeding
- severe burns
- poisoning
- numbness or paralysis
- unconsciousness
- unresponsiveness
- seizures
- ongoing fever in infants.
Resources for your practice, clinic, or service
Cairns
Townsville
Health professional FAQs
Can I refer patients to a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic?
Yes. If you believe your patient has an urgent care need that may be appropriately managed within the scope of the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (as outlined above), you can make a GP-to-GP referral.
To refer a patient, please phone the clinic number and speak with the Triage nurse or GP in attendance, and provide a clinical handover to the clinic GP. The clinic GP will consider the patient’s clinical needs and the capabilities and resources available at the Urgent Care Clinic and determine whether the referral can be accepted.
Acceptance of a referral is at the clinical discretion of the Urgent Care Clinic GP. If accepted, the referring GP can then advise the patient to attend the clinic as directed.
Patients do not require a referral to attend a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, and may present directly for urgent care. The referral pathway provides an additional option for GPs who wish to discuss a patient directly with a clinic GP and arrange an appropriate clinical handover.
It should be noted that a GP referral to the clinic does not expedite care, as patients are seen at the clinic in order of clinical urgency, with or without a referral.
Will my patients go to a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic instead of coming to my practice?
No. There are limited MBS items that patients can access at the Medicare UCC and the patient’s usual GP is still the first point of contact for non-emergency, routine, and preventative health care.
Medicare UCCs won’t be able to see people for things like chronic disease management or preventive health procedures such as cervical screening tests. A patient attending a Medicare UCC for non-emergency, routine or preventative health care will be referred back to their nominated usual GP.
Will I know if one of my patients has received care at a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic?
Yes. Any patient attending a Medicare UCC will have a discharge summary issued. The summary will be:
- uploaded into My Health Record (unless requested not do so by the patient)
- electronically provided to the patient’s nominated usual GP/practice within 24 hours.
If electronic transfer is not possible or the patient does not name a usual GP, the patient will be given a hard copy of the discharge summary.
The Medicare UCC will also advise the patient’s nominated usual GP of any test results.
Will immediate diagnostic imaging and pathology services be available to patients attending the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic?
Yes, the Townsville Medicare UCC has arrangements in place with diagnostic imaging and laboratory-based pathology services near the Medicare UCC.
Patients presenting to the Cairns South Medicare UCC with urgent but not-life-threatening conditions that require an x-ray or ultrasound are now able to access these services on-site with no out-of-pocket costs. Radiology is available from 10am to 6pm seven days a week. Ultrasound is available 10am to 6pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
How much will it cost to attend a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic?
The Townsville and Cairns UCCs will provide urgent health care with no out-of-pocket costs for patients. Any diagnostic services, such as radiology and pathology, will also be provided with no out-of-pocket costs for patients.
How will patients know where to go for various conditions?
A national and local communications campaign will help people identify the right place to go for care, depending on their condition and level of care required. Various resources are available on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing website here.