All Ways Healthcare, supported by ForHealth, has been selected as the provider for Cessnock Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (Medicare UCC) following an expression of interest process, the federal government has announced.
Cessnock Medicare UCC, which will start seeing patients in September, will make it easier for Hunter residents to get urgent treatment from highly qualified doctors and nurses, while taking pressure off Cessnock Hospital, the government said in a statement on Friday morning.
The facility will be open for extended hours every day and offer fully bulk billed walk-in care.
More than 60 per cent of presentations to Cessnock Hospital's emergency department are for non-urgent or semi-urgent care, the government's statement said.
The Cessnock clinic is one of 14 that will be established across NSW - in Albury, Batemans Bay, Blacktown, Campbelltown, Coffs Harbour, Gosford, Lismore, Penrith, Randwick, Tamworth, Westmead, Wollongong, and Wyong.
Health Minister Mark Butler said the facility would "make a big difference" to patients and offer "convenient, high-quality care".
"The clinic will ease pressure on Cessnock Hospital, so that its hard-working doctors and nurses can focus higher priority emergencies," he said.
"We've worked closely with the Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network and NSW government to ensure the Medicare UCCs align with local health services and the needs of communities across the state."
Cessnock MP Dan Repacholi said he knew of many families in his electorate who had to wait several hours for treatment for non-life-threatening issues at Cessnock Hospital.
"The Cessnock Medicare UCC will ease pressure on our local ED and be much more convenient for our community - closer to home, at short notice, and bulk billed under Medicare," he said.
