Medicare Urgent Care Clinics (UCCs) across the South Eastern NSW Primary Health Network region have delivered more than 100,000 episodes of patient care since the first local clinic opened, in July 2023.  

Together, the 7 Medicare UCCs operating in South Eastern NSW provide urgent care to a reported average of 265 patients a day across the region, helping to reduce the number of non-emergency presentations to hospital emergency departments. 

COORDINARE – South Eastern PHN’S Acting Chief Executive Officer Juanita Murphy acknowledged the collective effort of Medicare Urgent Care Clinic teams in partnership and collaboration with local general practices, hospital emergency departments and NSW Ambulance Service to support people to access timely treatment in the right setting.  

“Reaching more than 117,000 episodes of urgent care by the end of March 2026 is a significant milestone for the Medicare Urgent Care Clinics operating in our region. Based on patient data nearly half of all patients who attended a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic would have used a hospital emergency department if no clinic was available,” Ms Murphy said.  

“This milestone demonstrates people are using these services when they need care for urgent, but not life‑threatening, illnesses, particularly when that care cannot wait for a regular GP appointment.”  

Nearly 30 per cent of visits to Medicare Urgent Care Clinics have taken place on weekends, and 25 per cent of patients have attended after 5pm on weekdays, highlighting the importance of extended-hours access to care for urgent conditions.  

Medicare UCCs are designed to treat urgent but non-life-threatening conditions such as sprains and fractures, minor infections, respiratory illnesses, gastroenteritis, burns, cuts, stings, rashes and urinary tract infections.  

Most clinics are open 8am to 10pm, while Batemans Bay clinic operates 6am to midnight, Shellharbour clinic operates 8am to 8pm and Bega clinic operates 8am to 6pm, providing another option for patients when a same or next-day appointment may not be available at their local general practice.  

The Wollongong (Corrimal) Medicare UCC was the first to open, followed by Batemans Bay later in 2023. The local network expanded further with Dapto and the Queanbeyan clinics opening in mid-2024, followed by Bega, Shellharbour and Nowra in 2026.