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Most Australians could be living within 20 minutes of a bulk billing urgent care clinic, under a federal Labor pre-election promise.
The government has vowed to open an extra 50 clinics by the end of June 2026 if it secures a second term, with the polls suggesting a tight race between the two major parties.
The $644 million plan aims to deliver extra clinics in every jurisdiction, however, while Labor has released a list of target areas, the final sites would be decided independently.
The government has opened up 87 of the urgent care clinics during its first term in office.
Once the new clinics are added, about 80 per cent — or four in five — Australians will live within a 20 minute drive of one of 137 facilities, according to Department of Health and Aged Care analysis.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the additional clinics would ease Australians’ health costs.
“If you provide more bulk billing doctors in more suburbs and towns, it means less stress for families, and it means less pressure on household budgets,” he told Sky News on Sunday.
“When we take that pressure off family budgets, we also take pressure off emergency departments.”
Medicare Urgent Care Clinics offer free care by GPs or nurses for non-life-threatening conditions or injuries, and were initially set up to take pressure off public hospitals.
Of the 50 new clinics, 14 are expected to be built in NSW, 12 in Victoria, 10 in Queensland, six in Western Australia, three each in South Australia and Tasmania, with the ACT and the Northern Territory also getting an extra facility.
Treatment is offered for minor injuries — like cuts, basic fractures, burns, suturing and bandaging and foreign objects in ears nose or throat — or minor illnesses — like bronchitis, rashes, gastro, first trimester pregnancy bleeding or ear, nose, throat and eye infections.
So far, more than 1.2 million people have received care at the existing clinics, the government says. One in three patients are under the age of 15.
The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) said setting up new clinics was “not value for taxpayers’ money” and questioned how they’d be properly staffed given the industry’s workforce shortages.
“The best solution to increase access to urgent care and ease pressure on our hospitals is funding existing general practices to expand their current services, including for more after-hours services,” RACGP president Dr Michael Wright said in a statement on Sunday.
“This will result in better health outcomes, as people will be able to access urgent care from their usual practice, which has their medical history, and supports their continuity of care.”
Wright also raised concerns that Australia’s urgent care clinic model “hasn’t been properly evaluated”.
“There have been concerning reports about costs being at least four times higher than GP services. Without an evaluation of the urgent care clinic model, there is no evidence that it is a solution,” he said.
Health Minister Mark Butler said an independent evaluation of the impact of the existing clinics was underway and due to report to government in 2026.
“There is no doubt this program is working. It is delivering for Australians and it is having a material impact on our hospital system,” he told reporters on Sunday.
Fewer semi-urgent and non-urgent cases were seeking treatment at emergency departments with nearby urgent care clinics, Butler added.
Proposed locations for extra urgent care clinics
NSW: Bathurst, Bega, Burwood, Chatswood, Dee Why, Green Valley and surrounds, Maitland, Marrickville, Nowra, Rouse Hill, Shellharbour, Terrigal, Tweed Valley, Windsor
Victoria: Bayside, Clifton Hill, Coburg, Diamond Creek and surrounds, Lilydale, Pakenham, Somerville, Stonnington, Sunshine, Torquay, Warrnambool, Warragul
Queensland: Brisbane, Buderim, Burpengary, Cairns, Caloundra, Capalaba, Carindale, Gladstone, Greenslopes and surrounds, Mackay
Western Australia: Bateman, Ellenbrook, Geraldton, Mirrabooka, Mundaring, Yanchep
South Australia: East Adelaide, Victor Harbour, Whyalla
Tasmania: Burnie, Kingston, Sorell
Northern Territory: Darwin
