The Albanese Government is delivering on its commitment for a further 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics with tender processes underway to identify a provider to operate the new Darwin clinic.
The Darwin Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will be open over extended hours, seven days a week, with no appointment needed, and all patients will be fully bulk billed.
The clinic will service Darwin and will help take pressure off the Royal Darwin Hospital, filling an important gap in services across extended hours and over the weekend.
The tender process is being led by the Northern Territory Government to identify a provider, which is open to general practices, community health centres and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services until 23 October 2025.
Ninety Medicare UCCs have opened across Australia, which have already seen over 1.9 million presentations since the first sites opened in June 2023, including over 77,000 presentations to Northern Territory Medicare Urgent Care Clinics.
Over one in five presentations to Medicare Urgent Care Clinics in the Northern Territory 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 over one in four visits treating a young person under 15, Northern Territory Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are giving families timely health care and peace of mind.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
“The Albanese Government is delivering more Medicare Urgent Care Clinics in the Northern Territory.
“The Palmerston Medicare Urgent Care Clinic has already had over 28,000 presentations.
“We know the community is after even more services and that’s what the Albanese Government is delivering.”
Quotes attributable to Minister McCarthy:
“The Albanese Government’s Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are delivering bulk billed health services across the Northern Territory; from Palmerston to remote First Nations communities like Maningrida and Ali Curung.
“A new Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Darwin will ensure greater access to health care for residents, including after hours and on weekends.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Solomon, Luke Gosling OAM MP:
“Following on from the success of the Palmerston Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, I welcome the start of the process to deliver a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic to service Darwin and take pressure off Royal Darwin Hospital.
“The Darwin Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will bulk bill all patients and be open over extended hours, seven days a week, with no appointment needed.”