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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Natasha May

Medicare urgent care clinics: are they Australian healthcare’s saviour or just a Band-Aid solution?

United States Medicare Andrew Cohen Australia Mark Butler Labor Anne Ruston UCCS
An ankle X-ray is examined at the Maroubra Medicare urgent care clinic in Sydney
An ankle X-ray is examined at the Maroubra Medicare urgent care clinic in Sydney. Labor has pledged $644m for an additional 50 clinics to be rolled out, which they say would ensure 80% of Australians would be within a 20-minute drive of one. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian

Medicare urgent care clinics are a walk-in service but many people, like Chloe*, more accurately hobble in.

When the primary school teacher rolled her ankle over the weekend and struggled on her feet at work all day on Monday, she knew she would not be able to get an appointment with her regular GP, who is always booked out three weeks in advance.

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