Tuesday, 18 March 2025

Health services

Sonja TERPSTRA (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (23:57): (1505) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Health. Can the Minister for Health provide an update on the progress of the partnership between the Victorian and Commonwealth governments in expanding the urgent care clinics network and how these clinics will continue to benefit Victorian families, particularly in the North-Eastern Metropolitan Region? I acknowledge the critical work being undertaken by the Victorian government, in collaboration with the Commonwealth government, to improve access to health care for Victorians through the establishment and funding of urgent care clinics. Victorian families are benefiting from a comprehensive and accessible healthcare model. Hundreds of thousands of patients have been diverted from our emergency departments to these free urgent care clinics, providing a vital alternative for urgent but non-emergency care.

The Victorian government, under the leadership of the Andrews and Allan Labor government, stepped in to establish 29 urgent care clinics across Victoria when the former federal coalition government’s neglect of the primary care system left many Victorians unable to secure an appointment or afford to see a GP. Since their inception in 2022, these urgent care clinics have consistently handled around 7000 patient visits per week, with patient survey data showing that around 50 per cent of these patients would have sought emergency department care had the urgent care clinics not been available.

The Commonwealth government’s recent funding commitment is a significant step forward. The Albanese Labor government has taken over funding for 15 of Victoria’s existing urgent care clinics, increasing the total to 18. Importantly, the Albanese government has committed to funding seven new Medicare urgent care clinics in Victoria, located in Bendigo, Dandenong, Epping, Glen Waverley, Maribyrnong, Maroondah and Melton. These clinics will be open seven days a week with extended hours and no appointments necessary, offering fully bulk-billed services. The expansion not only reduces pressure on local hospitals like Bendigo Hospital and Dandenong and Monash medical centres but ensures that patients can access high-quality health care outside standard business hours. Over 40 per cent of presentations to Victorian Medicare urgent care clinics have occurred outside business hours, with a quarter of visits treating young people under 15.

This collaboration between the Victorian and Commonwealth governments represents a forward-thinking approach to health care, ensuring that more Victorians have access to the urgent care they need without overwhelming our emergency departments. I commend both governments for their continued commitment to improving healthcare access for all Victorians, and I look forward to the minister’s response.