The Federal Government has announced a new urgent care centre will be located in Westmead to help relieve the pressure on emergency departments.
As part of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Federal Election promise, 14 out of 50 new urgent care centres are set to make NSW its new home, including one at Westmead Hospital.
Open for extended hours seven days a week, the Medicare urgent care clinics will provide bulk billed treatment for urgent but non-life-threatening emergencies.
Designed to help patients get timely, high-quality healthcare, the urgent care clinics will look to ease the rising pressure on NSW hospitals.
The announcement comes after the Bureau of Health Information (BHI) released its latest Healthcare Quarterly report, revealing that emergency departments experienced “near record demand” from October to December 2022.
At Westmead Hospital only 37 per cent of patients received treatment on time, a decrease of 12.5 per cent compared to the same quarter in the previous year, with semi-urgent or non-urgent presentations making up 32 per cent of all presentations at the emergency department.
The report also revealed 29 per cent of patients who arrived at Westmead Hospital’s emergency department waited over 30 minutes to be transferred into care of emergency department staff.
Federal Member for Parramatta, Dr Andrew Charlton said an urgent care clinic in Westmead will help take some of the pressure off overworked and overstretched emergency department staff.
“This clinic will help relieve some of the immense pressure in the emergency department at one of Australia’s biggest hospitals, Westmead Hospital,” he said.
“With an Urgent Care Clinic in Westmead, we will see some of the pressure ease and wait times decrease while helping make sure those who need non-serious urgent treatment get it better and sooner.”
Medicare urgent care clinics will also be established in other key areas, including Penrith, Blacktown and Campbelltown.
An Expression of Interest (EOI) will be run by the relevant NSW Primary Health Networks from March 2 to help inform the location of these urgent care clinics, with submissions set to close on April 12.
Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler said Medicare urgent care clinics are just one way the Federal Government is “ensuring Australians get the medical care they need when they need it”.
He added that the Federal Government is committed to having the urgent care clinics across Australia operating this year.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.