The Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will provide free, accessible healthcare and aims to transform medical assistance for residents in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. Its opening represents a concrete response from the federal government to community demands, allowing people to finally access urgent care without facing hours of waiting at public hospitals.

The clinic will be open seven days a week, with extended hours and no need for appointments. All patients will be fully covered by bulk billing through Medicare, meaning no out-of-pocket costs.

The goal is also to ease pressure on major hospitals such as St Vincent’s, the Royal Melbourne and the Austin, by offering a safe and quick alternative.

Labor MP Peter Khalil, federal representative for the seat of Wills, said he was proud to have delivered a service he has long fought for.

“I was determined to push for a Medicare urgent care clinic in my community,” he said. “I realised just how necessary it was after something happened with my mother-in-law. She was at our place, trying to grab something in the kitchen using a step ladder, when she hit her head and cut her forehead.

“It was 9 p.m. on a Friday night and, of course, all the medical centres were closed. The nearest urgent care clinic from Pascoe Vale was in Carlton. With Medicare card in hand, as our Prime Minister Anthony Albanese often reminds us, we went to the clinic and within half an hour my mother-in-law received the care she needed.

“For urgent but non-life-threatening care, I think it is much better to go to one of these centres. At a public hospital, we would have been waiting for hours.”

“This service brings peace of mind to families with young children and to those caring for elderly parents,” added Khalil, who also once turned to the Carlton clinic for an emergency with his son.

“I remember taking my father a couple of times to the emergency department before he passed away,” he continued, “He was about 85, and it was hard to see him sitting and waiting for six or seven hours.

“Clinics like this help ease pressure on the public health system. Instead of crowding emergency departments for cuts, bruises, sprains or minor fractures, people can go to these clinics and receive the necessary care.”

The announcement was warmly welcomed by Coburg residents and those in nearby suburbs. Nina Alberti, vice president of the seniors’ group of the Federazione Lucana in Brunswick and a Reservoir resident, expressed relief.

“I’m reassured to know that the public health system is getting extra support and that we as citizens can rely on a rapid, nearby urgent care service,” she said. “I am certain it will help relieve pressure on hospitals.”

Carmela Refurgiato, a Pascoe Vale resident active in several local associations, also welcomed the government’s initiative.

“Knowing that we have an urgent care centre so close to home is a real comfort,” she said. “In the past, I’ve needed to see a doctor late in the evening, but the walk-in centres close at 9 p.m. This new clinic really is an excellent step forward for our healthcare system.”

Tendering procedures for the new Coburg facility are already underway, led by the local Primary Health Network, to select operators that may include GP clinics, community health centres or Aboriginal community-controlled health services.

Meanwhile, further clinics have been announced for Bayside, Pakenham, Stonnington, Lilydale, Diamond Creek, Clifton Hill and Torquay. Across Australia, since 2023, 90 clinics have opened, with more than 1.8 million visits recorded, including over 376,000 across the twenty facilities operating in Victoria.

“We promised to open 87 new urgent care clinics, and we have already delivered 90 in the first term of the Albanese government. The prime minister is proud to wave the Medicare card because he knows how important it is for Australians,” Khalil said.

“Around 40 per cent of visits to these new clinics happen outside business hours, in the evenings and on weekends, and many patients are under 15 years old.

“That is a clear sign of how important this service is and of the peace of mind it provides families.”