Edmonton resident, Fiona Peacock, can’t speak highly enough of the Cairns South Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (UCC).
As soon as she arrived at the clinic in severe pain, she knew she was in good hands.
It was late on a Sunday afternoon when Fiona visited the Cairns South Medicare UCC in Edmonton.
“I'd been in pain all day. It was coming and going quite frequently,” she said.
“I was away on the Tablelands and, when I returned home to Edmonton after 5pm, my pain still hadn't eased, so I decided to visit the clinic.
“The nurse took all my observations, and noted my blood pressure was high; probably because I was stressed and in pain.
“The doctor asked me questions and checked on my condition. He was very thorough, and I felt genuinely cared for.”
Fiona said she was thankful that her condition wasn’t serious.
“It was a relief to be told by the doctor that nothing out of the ordinary had been found,” she said.
“I rested that night and took some painkillers, and by the next day the pain had gone.”
Fiona is one of the 2100-plus people who have benefited from the clinic since it opened in late December. (Figure correct at the time of publishing).
Other patients, many who have travelled from Cairns’ northern suburbs, have been treated for gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections (UTIs), sexually transmitted infections (STIs), severe pain, boils and rashes, falls, eye injuries, lacerations and cuts, and minor incidents requiring stitches.
“I wasn’t wanting to drive half an hour into the Cairns emergency department and then suffer the waiting lines, so I was very thankful the Cairns UCC could see me quite quickly,” Fiona said.
“The short wait time impressed me, and I received friendly and gentle care when I was stressed and in pain.
“The lovely nurse made me feel at ease and the doctor saw me within a very short time.”
Balance! Healthcare Founder and Director Kate Gunn said Cairns South Medicare UCC represented a critical safety net for the region.
“The clinic fills the gap between primary care and the emergency room, and provides peace of mind to our community members and patients,” Ms Gunn said.
“We see upwards of 40-50 patients a day, sometimes more. That’s 40-50 people a day who are not visiting the emergency department.
“Our team feels a profound sense of purpose and responsibility in establishing the clinic.
“We are not just healthcare providers; we want to make a difference to our community's health and wellbeing.”
The Cairns South Medicare UCC provides bulk-billed urgent care when patients 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 their usual GP.
The Cairns South Medicare Urgent Care Clinic is now open Monday to Friday from 8am – 10pm, and Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays from 9am – 6pm.
The clinic is located next to the Balance! Edmonton Family Practice at 5b Walker Road, Edmonton.
