Two new Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are being established in Brisbane and Burpengary, offering bulk-billed urgent care services to ease pressure on nearby hospitals.
Background
On 14 August 2025, registrations of interest opened for providers to operate new Medicare Urgent Care Clinics (Medicare UCCs) in Brisbane’s inner north and in the Narangba–Burpengary area. These sites form part of a wider rollout of 50 additional clinics announced in the 2025–2026 Federal Budget.
The initiative is supported by the Brisbane North Primary Health Network, which is managing the selection of general practices, community health centres and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services to host the new facilities.
Service Model
Medicare UCCs provide walk-in care for urgent but not life-threatening conditions. They are bulk-billed and operate with extended hours every day of the year. Patients do not require appointments or referrals.
The clinics are staffed by medical professionals and are designed to deliver accessible care for all, including young people and vulnerable groups. Patients receive a discharge summary and, where applicable, their regular GP is informed of the visit.
Reducing Hospital Pressure
The Burpengary and Brisbane clinics are expected to reduce demand on local hospitals, including Caboolture Hospital and the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. By handling urgent presentations in a general practice setting, the clinics will allow hospitals to focus on more critical cases.
Nationally, 90 Medicare UCCs have already opened since 2023, recording more than 1.8 million presentations. In Queensland alone, 16 existing clinics have seen more than 350,000 visits. Nearly one-third of those presentations occurred outside normal business hours, with a significant proportion during weekends and evenings.
Community Access
For families, the clinics are intended to provide more timely access to urgent healthcare, particularly outside standard business hours. Data from Queensland’s existing sites shows over one in four visits have involved patients under 15 years of age.
Next Steps
The registration process for interested providers will close on 25 August 2025, followed by a formal tender process. Once established, the new Brisbane and Burpengary Medicare Urgent Care Clinics will operate seven days a week, extended hours, with all services bulk billed.
Published 27-Aug-2025
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