RESIDENTS in southern Cairns seeking emergency medical treatment will soon have a larger window to do so as the Cairns South Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (UCC) will be extending its operating hours.
This extension is for the clinic to better accommodate the increasing demand for urgent medical care with the new hours being from 8 am to 10 pm Monday to Friday, and from 9 am to 6 pm on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.
Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) CEO Sean Rooney said that since its opening in December, the clinic has served over 1,174 individuals and is now attending to an average of 30-40 patients daily.
“With the extended opening hours, the clinic will have the capacity to see more people requiring urgent care, while further helping to ease pressure for the emergency department, which is great news,” he said.
“Medicare UCCs are about increasing access to immediate medical services in our community and avoiding unnecessary trips to the hospital.
“The Cairns South Medicare UCC is achieving this goal and has already become an asset to the community as an additional health care option that complements existing services.”
Balance! Healthcare founder and director Kate Gunn said the clinic has been attending to patients with various urgent yet non-life-threatening conditions such as spider bites, ear infections, urinary tract infections (UTIs), sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and lacerations.
“We are now seeing about 40 patients a day for wound care, stitches, UTIs, STIs, and fractures,” Ms Gunn said.
“To ensure the clinic can support people who need urgent care, we encourage those without urgent needs to seek treatment from their own GP.
“If a patient presents with a life-threatening emergency, they will be transferred to the emergency department at Cairns Hospital.”
Residents of Cairns can utilise the urgent care services at the clinic for illnesses or injuries that require immediate attention but do not warrant a trip to the emergency department.
Patients are advised to contact their regular GP initially, and if needed urgently, they can visit the Cairns South Medicare UCC located at 5b Walker Road, Edmonton, adjacent to Balance! Edmonton Family Practice.
Keep up with the latest news in Cairns and the Far North, and check out some of our top stories this week: Police launch investigation into car accident and Sewer fogging to flush out issues in Mareeba.
