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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
Lucy Bladen

Public medical imaging service slated territory's north if Labor re-elected

A new medical imaging service which would provide free X-rays and ultrasounds to Canberrans would open at the Belconnen walk-in centre if Labor is re-elected.

Labor has also revealed it plans to build a new health centre in Macnamara, which is one of Canberra's newest suburbs and is located in west Belconnen.

The new medical imaging service would be immediately available to people who visit the walk-in centre who are in need of an ultrasound or X-ray.

Canberrans will also be able to make appointments for an X-ray or ultrasound or be referred to the centre by a general practitioner.

There is a medical imaging service at the Weston Creek walk-in centre which was opened in June last year. The government said it has treated 11,000 people. Of those, 3000 attended a walk-in centre and received an X-ray on the same day.

Labor has also promised to start construction on a new health centre in Macnamara, which would be staffed by nursing, medical and allied health professionals.

The centre was one of five promised by the party in the 2020 election. They were due to be rolled out between 2021-22 and the middle of the decade. Only one centre has opened.

New centres were promised in south Tuggeranong, west Belconnen, the inner south, Molonglo and north Gungahlin.

A medical imaging service would be at the Belconnen walk-in centre. Picture by Keegan Carroll

A centre in Molonglo has already opened and planning work has started on a south Tuggeranong centre in Conder. A centre for the inner south has been slated for Griffith.

The health centres are different to the nurse-led walk-in centres as they will offer specialist and other allied services as well.

Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said Labor had heard Canberrans wanted more access to local health services.

"We have heard clearly from Canberrans that they want access to more local health services and we know investing in preventive and community-based care takes pressure off our hospitals," she said.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the party would keep investing in nurse-led walk-in centres.

"We will invest in health services across the territory so people can access the right healthcare, in the right place and at the right time," he said.

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