Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are located across Australia and make it easier for you and your family to access bulk billed, urgent health care. In the Mid North Coast and Northern NSW areas, there are Medicare Urgent Care Clinics located at:
- Coffs Harbour | Level 1, Specialist Medical Centre, 343-345 Pacific Hwy, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450 | 02 6602 9780
- Lismore | 33-35 Rous Rd, Goonellabah NSW 2480 | 02 6620 0188
The clinics are bulk billed and open extended hours, seven days a week. You don’t need an appointment or referral – you can walk in and wait to be seen by a highly trained doctor or nurse in a GP setting.
Medicare Urgent Care Clinics help to reduce pressure on our hospitals and emergency departments, allowing them to focus on higher urgency and life-threatening conditions.
So, what is the difference between urgent, general, and emergency or life-threatening care?
Urgent care
Urgent care is when you need medical attention for an illness or injury that can be managed without a trip to the emergency department, but cannot wait for a regular appointment with a general practitioner (GP).
You can visit the Coffs/Lismore Medicare Urgent Care Clinics for things like minor fractures, sprains, minor infections, respiratory illnesses, mild burns, severe stomach pains, or urinary tract infections.
Emergency care
Emergency or life-threatening illnesses or injuries require immediate medical attention by an emergency department or hospital. This includes things like chest pain, breathing difficulties, severe burns, poisoning, loss of feeling, and seizures.
If you or a loved one has a life-threatening injury or illness, do not attend a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic. Call Triple Zero (000) or go to your nearest emergency department.
General care
Your local GP is your first point of contact for non-urgent, routine and preventative health care.
For example, diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of diseases and illnesses, general screening and health checks, vaccinations and prescriptions, mental health advice, family planning advice, and referrals for tests, scans or specialist care.
