The Albanese Government is delivering on its commitment for a further 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics with tender processes underway to identify providers to operate the new clinics in Victoria. 

The Pakenham Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will give more Victorians access to high quality and free walk-in urgent health care. 

It will be open over extended hours, seven days a week, with no appointment needed, and all patients will be fully bulk billed. 

These clinics are intended to take pressure off local hospitals, including Casey, as well as St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, the Royal Melbourne, Sandringham, Frankston, the Alfred, Austin, Northern Hospital Epping, Maroondah and University Hospital Geelong Hospitals, and will fill an important gap in services across extended hours and over the weekend. 

A tender process led by the local Primary Health Network has commenced to identify a provider to operate the new Medicare Urgent Care Clinics in Pakenham. 

The tender process will be open to general practices, community health centres and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services.  

Ninety Medicare Urgent Care Clinics have opened across Australia, which have already seen more than 1.8 million presentations since the first sites opened in June 2023, including over 376,000 presentations to the 20 existing Victorian Medicare Urgent Care Clinics.  

Over thirty per cent of presentations to Medicare Urgent Care Clinics in Victoria have been outside standard business hours, which means the clinics are filling an important gap in services across extended hours and over the weekend.  

Over one in four visits to a Victorian Medicare Urgent Care Clinic have taken place on the weekend, and one in three have taken place at 5pm or later.   

And with over one in four visits treating a young person under 15, Victorian Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are giving families timely health care and peace of mind. 

Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:  

“The Government is getting on with the job of delivering more Medicare Urgent Care Clinics for Victorians.” 

“These clinics will be open seven days a week, extended hours and most importantly they’ll be fully bulk billed.” 

Quotes attributable to Lisa Darmanin, Senator for Victoria: 

“These clinics are about helping people in Pakenham get quality care, close to home, when they need it.” 

“As our southeastern suburbs continue to grow, it’s vital that local services keep up with community need.” 

MEDIA CONTACTS: 

Lucy Caruso: 0408 803 428 (Butler) 

Grace Britton: 0433 301 831 (Darmanin)