An Albanese Labor Government will fund a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic near Cessnock Hospital so local families will get the bulk billed urgent medical care they need. 

Hunter families are already struggling to access emergency care and are under pressure from rising out of pocket costs which only contribute to the strain on household budgets. Under the Liberals, out of pocket costs to see a GP in Hunter have gone up by 29 per cent.

Only Dan Repacholi and Labor have a plan to expand GP emergency care access in the Hunter by delivering a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Cessnock. 

The Cessnock Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will take pressure off the Cessnock Hospital Emergency Department by providing an alternative option for Hunter families needing urgent care from a doctor or nurse. The Clinic will treat sprains and broken bones, cuts, wounds, insect bites, minor ear and eye problems and minor burns. 
 
Care will be bulk billed, meaning families won’t be left out of pocket for having a loved one attended to, just as if they had gone to the Cessnock Hospital Emergency Department. 
 
It will be open seven days a week from at least 8 am to 10 pm – the time when the majority of non-life-threatening injuries occur. 
 
Medicare Urgent Care Clinics will relieve pressure on hospitals and free up dedicated nurses and doctors at hospital emergency departments so they can focus on providing care for serious and life-threatening presentations. 
 
The Cessnock Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will be tailored to meet the needs of the local community.

Medicare Urgent Care Clinics will be located across Australia – in every State and Territory. 
 
Labor will invest over $135 million over four years to establish a trial of 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics. 
 

Quotes attributable to Anthony Albanese:  

“Labor’s Medicare Urgent Care Clinics will mean more families will get top quality care from a nurse or a doctor without having to wait in a hospital emergency department. 
 
“These clinics are a key part of Labor’s plan to strengthen Medicare by making it easier to see a doctor.

“Medicare Urgent Care Clinics will take the pressure off emergency departments, so they can concentrate on saving lives.”

Quotes attributable to Mark Butler: 

“Medicare Urgent Care Centres are a practical, tangible example of Labor’s commitment to strengthen Medicare and make it easier for families to access care.

“Medicare is the bedrock of our health system and by using it to help take the pressure off hospital emergency departments we make can the whole system stronger.” 
 

Quotes attributable to Dan Repacholi:

“It’s great to see Labor make investments to take pressure off the Cessnock Hospital. 

“After years of cuts to healthcare under both the state and federal Liberals, the only way to finally see the investment in health that we need in the Hunter is to vote for an Albanese Labor Government.”