The Albanese Government is delivering on its commitment to West Australians with a provider for the Greater Bunbury Region Urgent Care Clinic (Medicare UCC) finalised, following an Expression of Interest process.
The Health Hub at Eaton Fair will be established as the Greater Bunbury Medicare UCC and is expected to start seeing patients in November 2023.
This Medicare UCC delivers on the Australian Government’s commitment to make it easier for people in Western Australia to get the urgent treatment they need – from highly qualified doctors and nurses.
The Medicare UCC will be open for extended hours, 7 days a week, and offer walk-in care that is fully bulk billed.
Approximately 40 per cent of presentations to the Bunbury Hospital are for non-urgent or semi-urgent care. The Greater Bunbury Medicare UCC provides a quick, bulk-billed alternative to residents who need immediate care.
This clinic will join three clinics that are already operational in Perth, Rockingham and Clarkson, a fourth clinic at Beeliar which will open in November and will be soon joined by the final two Western Australian Medicare UCCs in Midland and Broome before the end of the year.
The Australian Government will continue to work closely with the WA Primary Health Alliance and the Western Australian Government to deliver the remaining Medicare UCCs, all of which will open this year.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
“The Greater Bunbury Region Medicare UCC are going to make a big difference to patients across southern Western Australia.
“The local community will be able to walk in, see a doctor or nurse and access imaging and pathology services.
“The Albanese Government is committed to strengthening Medicare and making it easier and cheaper to get quality healthcare, by tripling the bulk billing incentive and making medicines cheaper.”
Quotes attributable to Senator Pratt:
“I know many families who have had to wait long hours at the Bunbury Hospital emergency department for non-life-threatening issues.
“The Greater Bunbury Region Medicare UCC is much more convenient for our communities. It will mean local residents who need urgent but not acute care, can get it quickly even if it’s outside standard hours – and all they’ll need is their Medicare card to have it bulk billed.”
