Kara Cook (Bonner, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

and current life, you know the feeling of weighing up where to go, how long it will take and what it might cost. That's exactly the decision that Medicare urgent care clinics are making easier for families.

Last Friday, I saw this firsthand when I visited the Carina-Carindale Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in my electorate of Bonner. That's where I met Audrey, a young mum from Mansfield, who was there with her almost two-year-old and her seven-week-old baby. In just one week, Audrey had used that clinic twice. Her first visit was for a gastro related illness with one of her children, and this time she was back because her little one had developed a rash. Like so many parents, all she needed was care quickly and without the added stress of not knowing what it might cost. Audrey didn't pay a cent for these visits, and all she needed was her Medicare card, not her credit card. The clinic was close to home, and the wait time was shorter than it would have been at an emergency department.

But Audrey's story is not unique. I have also heard from Angela, a local from Carindale, who attended the Carina-Carindale clinic after returning home from a long international flight. She was worried when she had some symptoms that turned out to actually be a blood clot. Angela was seen within 10 minutes and treated promptly, and she received the referral she needed for an ultrasound. She told me she had a great experience and that the speed and certainty made all the difference to her peace of mind. This is exactly how early intervention saves lives and relieves pressure on our emergency departments.

I also want to share the experience of Abdullah from Mount Gravatt. After receiving information about the urgent care clinic from our newsletter, Abdullah contacted my EO for advice after cutting his finger. My team directed him to the Carina-Carindale clinic, and, in just over an hour, he'd been triaged, seen by a nurse and treated with some stitches. He was grateful he didn't have to travel further or sit for hours in an emergency department, and that matters, particularly for people juggling work, family, transport and, of course, the added cost of health care. It's not just people who have actually already received care—residents like Myra and Carol, some of my older residents from Fairway Retirement Living, have told me just how reassuring it is, simply knowing the clinic is there, especially on the weekends.

This is exactly how the Albanese Labor government is showing up for people across my electorate of Bonner by delivering free, accessible health care that families can rely on when they need it most. Right now, 122 Medicare urgent care clinics are open right across Australia, delivering care closer to home and taking pressure off hospitals. With another 15 clinics still to be opened, affordable health care is only going to get more accessible. At a time when families are managing real cost-of-living pressures, knowing that care doesn't come with an unexpected bill makes a genuine difference.

Across Bonner, these clinics are doing more than treating cuts, rashes and injuries. They are reducing anxiety, easing pressure on our emergency departments and giving people quality health care close to home. These bills also fund 1800MEDICARE, recognising that health concerns don't wait for business hours. Australians can now call 24/7 to speak to a registered nurse and be guided to the right care. Around 250,000 Australians each year will avoid unnecessary trips to emergency departments because of this service. I commend the bill to the House.

See this speech in context