Medicare Urgent Care Clinics (UCC) Australia
Free, walk-in urgent care with your Medicare card. No appointment, no referral, no out-of-pocket cost. 135+ clinics across Australia, 7 days a week, extended hours. Information only — for life-threatening emergencies call 000.
🩺 Find your nearest Medicare Urgent Care Clinic
The official healthdirect National Health Services Directory shows every Medicare UCC in Australia with location, hours, and contact details. Free, government-sourced, no login.
Powered by the National Health Services Directory — Healthdirect Australia. If the directory doesn't load, you can also use the Department of Health UCC finder.
What a Medicare UCC is, in plain terms
A Medicare Urgent Care Clinic sits between your regular GP and the hospital emergency department. It's for urgent medical problems that can't wait for a normal GP appointment but aren't life-threatening — things like sprains, infections, minor injuries, simple fractures. Treatment is fully bulk-billed for anyone with a Medicare card. The federal government announced in the 2025–26 Budget that Medicare UCCs are now a permanent part of the Australian health system, with $1.8 billion in additional funding over five years.
UCC vs Emergency Department — when to go where
✅ Go to a Medicare UCC for
- Minor cuts needing stitches or wound closure
- Sprains, strains, suspected simple fractures
- Minor burns
- Skin infections, abscesses, cellulitis
- Urinary tract infection (UTI) symptoms
- Ear infections, eye infections
- Sore throat, mild fever, viral illness that's not improving
- Mild to moderate asthma flare-ups
- Mild gastroenteritis without severe dehydration
- Insect bites and stings (mild reactions)
- Minor allergic reactions (no breathing difficulty)
- Foreign bodies in eye, ear, nose
🚨 Go to ED (or call 000) for
- Chest pain or pressure
- Stroke signs (face droop, arm weakness, speech difficulty — call 000)
- Severe difficulty breathing
- Severe bleeding that won't stop
- Sudden severe headache or worst headache of life
- Loss of consciousness, seizure, severe head injury
- Anaphylaxis or severe allergic reaction
- Severe abdominal pain
- Suspected major fracture (deformed limb, can't move)
- Major trauma — car accident, significant fall
- Suicidal thoughts or mental health crisis
- Anything where you genuinely fear for life
If in doubt, call 000. Operators are trained to direct you to the right care — emergency department, UCC, or healthdirect (1800 022 222, also free, 24/7).
What it costs (the short version)
If you have a Medicare card, the consultation at a Medicare UCC is free — fully bulk-billed. The federal government has been clear about this: "all you need is your Medicare card, not your credit card." Costs that can apply separately:
- Prescriptions — standard PBS pricing applies if you need medication.
- Pathology or imaging — if the clinic orders blood tests or an X-ray, these are usually bulk-billed too, but it depends on the provider.
- Specialist follow-up — if you're referred onwards, the specialist sets their own fee.
If you don't have a Medicare card (overseas visitor, expired card), the clinic will explain costs upfront — most will still see you in a genuine urgent situation, but the consult won't be free.
What to expect when you arrive
- Walk in — no appointment needed. Most clinics are open 7 days, often 8am to 10pm. Hours vary by clinic — check the directory.
- Triage — a nurse will assess how urgent your problem is. More urgent cases are seen first, regardless of arrival order.
- Wait time — depends on how busy the clinic is and how urgent your problem is. Most patients are seen within 1–2 hours.
- Bring: Medicare card, list of any current medications, brief notes on what's happening if it'll help you remember.
- After: the clinic sends a summary to your usual GP (if you have one) so your records stay up to date.
Common questions
Are children seen at Medicare UCCs?
Yes. Most clinics see patients of all ages including babies and children. Children's hospitals and dedicated paediatric EDs are still the right place for severely unwell young children, but for routine urgent issues (ear infections, minor injuries, fevers, rashes) a Medicare UCC is appropriate. If you're worried about an infant, call 000 or healthdirect (1800 022 222) first.
Will my GP know I went to a UCC?
The Medicare UCC will send a summary letter to your nominated GP (and to MyMedicare if you're registered). Your GP keeps track of what happened so they can follow up if needed. Tell the UCC clinician who your usual GP is at the visit.
What if the UCC can't help me?
Every Medicare UCC has an agreed escalation pathway with the local hospital emergency department. If your condition turns out to need more than the clinic can offer, they'll arrange for you to be transferred (sometimes by ambulance) to ED. The UCC clinician's assessment travels with you — you don't start from scratch at the hospital.
UCC vs after-hours GP — what's the difference?
After-hours GP: usually a home visit service (or evening/weekend clinic) for issues that can't wait until your usual GP opens but aren't urgent enough for ED. Some are bulk-billed, some charge a fee.
Medicare UCC: walk-in clinic during extended hours (often 8am–10pm), free with Medicare card, equipped for minor procedures (suturing, splinting, X-rays at most), staffed by GPs and nurses with urgent-care training.
For minor injuries, infections, or things that need on-the-spot testing or treatment, a UCC is usually the better choice. For a phone or home consult about a non-urgent issue, an after-hours GP may suit better.
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