Over 70 Percent of ‘Urgent Care Clinics’ Don’t Meet Required Opening Hours: Senator

Almost three-quarters of urgent care clinics across Australia are currently operating fewer hours than required, a Senate estimates committee session revealed on Feb. 16. Urgent Care Clinics—centres providing care for medical issues that are urgent, but not an emergency—were promised by the Albanese government during the 2022 election campaign to help ease pressure on stretched emergency departments. Senator Jess Walsh said that out of the 58 Urgent Care Clinics currently operating, 42 (72 percent) are not open from at least 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. The figure was provided to the Senate Estimates Committee at the request of Sen. Walsh. “As an example, say that the Frankston urgent care clinic is open until midnight. It says on their site that they’re only open till 10. I had a constituent from Frankston say to me that when they contacted the urgent care clinic, they were told that they needed to be there by 8:30 p.m. because that was as late as they could take in one, because obviously they needed to get through their work,” Senator Jess Walsh said....