Accessing a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in your area
In a moment of crisis, when an emergency room visit becomes inevitable, the expectation is swift and efficient medical attention. However, for many, the reality is a lengthy wait that adds even more stress to an already dire situation. Emergency room wait times have become a major point of concern for both patients & healthcare providers.
In New South Wales (NSW) Urgent Care Services have been introduced to help reduce pressure on our emergency departments. These services give people the treatment they need quickly for an illness or injury that is not an emergency, without having to wait in a busy ED. Many of these services have medical practitioners and diagnostic equipment including x-ray, pathology, and can therefore treat a variety of conditions.
Medicare Urgent Care Clinics provide acute episodic care and treatment that does not require a hospital admission. This may include:
- minor infections
- minor fractures, sprains, sports injuries and neck and back pain
- urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- minor cuts
- insect bites and rashes
- minor eye and ear problems
- respiratory illness
- gastroenteritis
- mild burns.
Eligibility
You may be eligible to access an Urgent Care Service if you are:
- a resident living in a community located in NSW or near its border
- experiencing an acute injury or illness that is not an emergency
- needing medical treatment in the next 2 to 12 hours; and
- unable to get an appointment with your own General Practitioner (GP) or at nearby medical centres.
How to access
- Please call Health Direct on 1800 022 222 for free at any time (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).
- A registered nurse (RN) will answer your call and ask you some questions about your condition.
- Depending on the assessment made by the RN, you may be referred to an Urgent Care Service.
- If you are referred to an Urgent Care Service, the RN will provide you the details to access the service.
- Depending on your condition, the RN may recommend an alternative treatment option for you.
You can also access a list of Urgent Care Clinics here – https://www.health.gov.au/find-a-medicare-ucc
Autism Advisory & Support Service are not the point of contact for this service and are information sharing on behalf of our contacts at NSW Health.
