HON STEPHEN JONES MP
MEMBER FOR WHITLAM
ASSISTANT TREASURER
MINISTER FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES
ANNA WATSON MP
MEMBER FOR SHELLHARBOUR
CAROL BERRY
LABOR CANDIDATE FOR WHITLAM
MONDAY, 3 MARCH 2025
MEDIA RELEASE
Australians in Shellharbour will get the free urgent care they need, fully bulk billed, without waiting hours in a busy hospital emergency department, if the Albanese Labor Government is re-elected.
Labor will open a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Shellharbour as part of a $644 million commitment to open another 50 Urgent Care Clinics, with more clinics in every state and territory.
Once all of Labor’s clinics are open, 4 in 5 Australians will live within a 20-minute drive of a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic.
If Labor is re-elected, the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Shellharbour will begin operating in the 2025-26 financial year, providing bulk billed care for urgent but non-life-threatening conditions, seven days a week, for extended hours, and with no appointment needed.
The Urgent Care Clinic will take pressure off the Shellharbour Hospital, which saw 19,182 non-urgent and semi-urgent presentations in 2023-24.
Parents and families swear by them: one third of patients are under the age of 15.
All you will need is your Medicare card, not your credit card.
The Liberals say the Albanese Labor Government’s Urgent Care Clinics are “wasteful spending”. Peter Dutton will close every Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, forcing over a million Australians a year back into the waiting rooms of busy hospital emergency departments.
Labor went to the last election promising to open 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, and we have delivered 87 clinics. More than 1.2 million Australians have already been treated at one of Labor’s existing 87 Urgent Care Clinics.
Doctors have embraced the clinics, with a survey finding 7 in 10 GPs support Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, and 8 in 10 GPs say they have a positive impact on hospital emergency departments.
Around 2 million Australians are expected to make use of an Urgent Care Clinic each year, getting the free urgent care they need, fully bulk billed, without waiting hours in a busy hospital emergency department.
This extends Labor’s election commitment to strengthening Medicare, with the single largest investment in Medicare since its creation over 40 years ago.
Video – Patient case studies | Sarah Hunstead’s visit | Bhavana’s visit
Video – Health professionals explain | Inside the Rockhampton Urgent Care Clinic
Animated explainer – When should you visit | What do Urgent Care Clinics offer
Advertisement – That’s a case for a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic
Quotes attributable to Member for Whitlam, Hon Stephen Jones MP:
“The Albanese Labor Government is making the biggest investment in Medicare in over 40 years, and the new Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Shellharbour is proof of that commitment.”
“This clinic will make it easier for locals to see a doctor when they need one, without having to pay out-of-pocket fees or wait for hours in the emergency department.”
“We know that bulk billing is under attack from Peter Dutton and the Liberals, but Labor is standing up for Medicare and delivering the urgent care Australians deserve.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Shellharbour, Anna Watson MP:
“This is a fantastic win for the people of Shellharbour. A Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will mean that families can access urgent medical care close to home, without the stress of long wait times at the emergency department.”
“I know from speaking with local residents that healthcare access is a top priority. This clinic will take the pressure off Shellharbour Hospital and ensure people can get the care they need, fully bulk billed.”
“Only Labor is committed to delivering real healthcare solutions for our community, and this is another example of how we’re putting people first.”
"Labor has always had a strong held belief that all Australians regardless of their bank balance are entitled to universal health care as a basic human right."
Quotes attributable to Labor Candidate for Whitlam, Carol Berry:
“At this election Australia faces a choice: a stronger Medicare with more bulk billing for all Australians under Labor, or more cuts to Medicare under Peter Dutton's Liberals.
“Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are an Albanese Government initiative because we believe in Medicare and in free urgent care, fully bulk billed.
“Only Labor will deliver a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Shellharbour so you can get the free urgent care you need, fully bulk billed, without waiting hours in a busy hospital emergency department.
“The Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will be open seven days, for extended hours, and take pressure off the Shellharbour Hospital.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Minister Butler’s Office: Lucy Caruso 0408 803 428
Hon. Stephen Jones MP: Georgia Roff 0428 160 565
Anna Watson MP: Anna Watson (02) 4297 3111
Carol Berry: Ailis Quinn 0479 163 327
