Residents and visitors to Shellharbour have better access to urgent care, with the new Shellharbour Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (Medicare UCC) now officially open. 

Shellharbour Medicare UCC was opened today by The Hon. Mark Butler MP (Minister for Health and Ageing Minister for Disability) and Carol Berry MP (Member for Whitlam). 

Following a competitive tender process led by COORDINARE - South Eastern NSW PHN, Shellharbour Medicare UCC is now seeing patients at Centre Health Medical Centre, Suite 15/25 Captain Cook Dr, Barrack Heights. 

Shellharbour Medicare UCC is open from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, and offers walk-in care that is fully bulk billed to support local communities, including visitors to the region.  

The Hon. Mark Butler MP Minister for Health and Ageing Minister for Disability said, “The Shellharbour Medicare Urgent Care Clinic is a game changer for families in the Shellharbour region.”

“This clinic is a key part of the Albanese Government’s commitment to strengthen Medicare and make health care more accessible and affordable.

“This new data shows Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are taking the pressure off New South Wales hospitals and making sure patients can get the care they need when they need it,” he said.

Member for Whitlam, Carol Berry MP said, “This Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will make a real difference for locals by providing convenient, bulk billed urgent care right here in the heart of Shellharbour.”

“The opening of the clinic is a huge win for our community, taking the pressure off the emergency department at Shellharbour Hospital,” said Ms Berry.

COORDINARE’s CEO Prudence Buist said, “The new Shellharbour Medicare UCC will provide an alternative option for anyone needing urgent but non-life-threatening care from a doctor or nurse in the Shellharbour region. 

"They will treat sprains and broken bones, cuts, wounds, insect bites, minor ear and eye problems, minor burns and other non-life-threatening issues," said Ms Buist. 

Shellharbour is one of the fastest-growing parts of the Illawarra, with rising demand for health services. The new clinic will help meet the needs of a growing and diverse population.

Medicare UCCs are being established by the Australian Government to operate independently from local emergency departments to alleviate pressure on local hospitals and general practices, especially after hours. 

Based on latest available data (2023-24) almost 50 per cent of presentations to Shellharbour Hospital were for non-urgent or semi-urgent care. 

Shellharbour Medicare UCC is the 130th urgent care clinic to open in Australia, these clinics have already seen more than 2.5 million presentations since the first sites opened in June 2023. This includes Medicare UCCs currently operating in Dapto, Wollongong, Queanbeyan, Batemans Bay and Bega. 

Pictured above from left: CEO of COORDINARE, Prudence Buist, Member for Whitlam, Ms Carol Berry MP, The Hon. Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Ageing Minister for Disability, Dr Mohammad Abdool, Lead Shellharbour Medicare UCC and Dr Muhammad Rashid, Centre Health.