The Albanese Government is delivering for the Epping community with a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (Medicare UCC) to give better access to high quality and free health care.
From 1 September, the Epping Medicare UCC began operating from Epping Plaza Medical and Dental Centre.
In the 2024-25 Budget, the Albanese Government provided $227 million to expand the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic program.
Seven existing state-funded Priority Primary Care Centres will transition to the Albanese Government’s Medicare Urgent Care Clinic network, following a request from the Victorian Government.
The transition to the Medicare UCC program provides longer term funding and gives the clinic access to the experience and learnings of the whole Medicare UCC network.
The Epping clinic will help reduce the number of people attending the local emergency department for urgent, but non-life threatening, conditions like sprains, infections, rashes or cuts.
This is good news for Northern Hospital, where more than 36% of presentations to the emergency room are for non-urgent and semi-urgent issues.
Over 40% of Medicare Urgent Care Clinic presentations in the state have been outside standard business hours, which means the clinics are filling an important gap in services across extended hours and over the weekend.
And with one in four visits treating a young person under 15, the Victorian clinics are giving families timely health care and peace of mind.
Located at Shop 216, Epping Plaza Regional Centre on High Street, the Epping Medicare Urgent Care Clinic is open 8am-10pm every day.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
“The approach of Medicare Urgent Care Clinics is a new concept in Australia, and it’s already working well right across the country.
“Thousands of people have been diverted from emergency rooms in busy hospitals and received quality care – quickly and entirely free of charge.
“By strengthening Medicare, the Albanese Government is making health care more readily available and reducing costs.”
Quotes attributable to Minister Giles:
“I encourage any local with a non-life threatening but urgent health issue to visit the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic at Epping Plaza.
“Using the clinic instead of the Northern Hospital will reduce pressure on busy emergency department staff and give you quick access to treatment at no cost.”
