A new Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will open in Torquay if Labor is re-elected at the next federal election.
Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler announced on Tuesday, March 11, that the new clinic would provide urgent care for the region.
Mr Butler said the Torquay facility was one of 33 proposed fully bulk billing general practitioner (GP) practices in the Bellarine, Surf Coast and Geelong regions.
“There is clearly a strong case for the clinic to be in Torquay, which is at the centre of the Surf Coast with a growing population,” he said.
“Our strengthening Medicare agenda rests on three key pillars: more bulk billing, more doctors and more urgent care clinics.
“They’re designed to take the pressure off hospital emergency departments and provide people with convenient and high-quality hospital care for emergencies that are not life-threatening.
“Geelong is the closest hospital for the Surf Coast and Bellarine community… and we need to ensure that many Australians live within a reasonable block of distance from a Medicare urgent care clinic.”
Mr Butler said there would also be an additional 306,600 bulk billed visits for the region and a further 4.9 million statewide if the Albanese Labor government was re-elected.
Member for Corangamite Libby Coker said the centre would allow for more free GP visits and bulk billing across Geelong, the Bellarine and Surf Coast.
“We want every Australian to know they only need their Medicare card, not their credit card, to receive the healthcare they need,” she said.
“Fifty-five GP practices across our region will get support to go fully bulk billing, getting more in Medicare payments than they lose in charging patients out-of-pocket.
“This is an amazing announcement. This means that people in Torquay, Armstrong Creek, and the broader Surf Coast will have an emergency care clinic.
“It means that instead of coming into Geelong’s emergency clinic and potentially waiting hours, you can go to your local clinic instead. It is free and open seven days a week with extended hours.”
The current federal government’s proposed investment would seek to support GP practices across the region to bulk bill and achieve a better financial position.
The investment also aimed to save families money on GP visits in Geelong, potentially saving a family with young children around $209 to $220 a year.
An older family with two parents and two young adult children could save around $366 to $374 a year, and a retiree couple could save $224 to $425 a year in out-of-pocket costs.
