Clarkson Medicare Urgent Care Clinic has opened its doors, with much fanfare and in the presence of the Federal Minister for Health, Mr Mark Butler.
Located in Ebb Way, Clarkson, the clinic will bulk bill, be open seven days a week and accept walk in patients from the wider Joondalup area.
Mr Butler was joined by the Federal Member for Pearce, Tracey Roberts, and WA Health Minister, Ms Amber Jade Sanderson, all of whom acknowledged the work done by Ocean Keys Family Practice owner, Dr Tim Koh, in establishing the UCC.
Mr Butler said at the opening he was delighted Clarkson clinic had opened, adding that “it’s already going gangbusters as you can tell that in the waiting room there. It saw over 50 patients, many of whom would have had to go to the Joondalup ED if there wasn’t a service like this one.”
“So, thank you, Tim, for expressing interest in this and wanting to take your practice up to the next level and be one of these really exciting networks of urgent care clinics across the country.”
Ms Roberts also thanked Dr Koh, who in a relatively short time had gone a clinic up and running.
“It’s a fast-growing area, our median age is 32, we have a lot of young families, and we have a lot of seniors. The demographic is incredibly important with regard to making sure that we have the right facilities to help them,” she said.
There are 58 clinics planned nationally, including seven WA UCCs being commissioned by the WA Primary Health Alliance in Morley, Clarkson, Rockingham, Midland, Murdoch, Bunbury and Broome and surrounding areas. Morley and Rockingham opened in July.
Mr Butler said that he was confident the other clinics would open by the end of the year. The seven WA services add to 51 other UCCs across the country.
“This gives us a good selection of services in urban and rural, and some remote areas across the country,” he said. “We’re also conscious as we talked to the general practice community that they were concerned about us building new services in their community, which has happened under some models in the past.
“So instead, we asked for expressions of interest from existing practices like Dr Koh’s, who want to take their practice to the next level with government support, and provide this additional service, as well as the traditional GP services that are, for example, still being provided at this service.”
Dr Koh agreed that general practice can play an important role in relieving pressure on hospital emergency departments by offering urgent care in the community setting.
“The community stands to benefit as most people would rather use a service close to home where possible and avoid what can often be long visits to the emergency department,” he said.
“We’ve been delighted with the start we’ve had. We’ve been seeing large volumes of patients from the start. The need that’s out there – and it’s all the sort of presentations from sick kids to sports injuries.
“Our doctors and nurses have many years of experience in treating a range of urgent illnesses and injuries, skills which they will be put to good use in the new clinic. It’s nice to be able to support people and give them an option not to go to hospital.”
Ms Sanderson said that with State investment in the system there was significant reform in the ambulance service, and a significant increase in staffing in the hospital system, with 500 beds added in the past two years.
“The only way we’re going to be able to deliver the right health care, at the right place, in time for the community, is if all levels of government are working together, and that’s why the Clarkson UCC is such a welcome addition to the healthcare landscape.”