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. 

The newly opened Cairns South Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (UCC) is seeing between 20-30 patients a day who are seeking urgent care.

Patients visiting the Medicare UCC are presenting with a range of urgent conditions including upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), earache and ear infections, urinary tract infections (UTIs), fractures, pain, rashes and allergic reactions, falls, sore throat, tonsilitis, and conjunctivitis.

Today, Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) and the Federal Government’s Senator for the Australian Capital Territory and Minister for Finance, Women and the Public Service the Hon Katy Gallagher, Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services the Hon Stephen Jones MP, and Senator for Queensland Nita Green, came together with State Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt, and representatives Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service (CHHHS), Queensland Ambulance Service, and Balance! Edmonton Family Practice to officially open the Cairns South Medicare UCC.

The Cairns South Medicare UCC offers walk-in care to treat urgent but non-life-threatening conditions that can be managed without a trip to the emergency department but cannot wait for a regular appointment with a GP.

NQPHN CEO Sean Rooney said since opening on 19 December, the Cairns South Medicare UCC was helping to reduce the pressure on the emergency department (ED) at the Cairns Hospital.

“The Medicare Urgent Care Clinic has been well received by the community,” Mr Rooney said.

“We are pleased to see residents have already been using the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic for its intended purpose and not travelling to the emergency department for urgent non-life-threatening conditions.”

The Cairns South Medicare UCC offers bulk billing and patients don’t need an appointment or referral to be seen by a highly trained doctor and nurse in a GP setting. However, a patient’s usual GP should still be the first point of contact.

Balance! Healthcare Founder and Director Kate Gunn said the Medicare UCC was having a positive impact in the lives of Cairns residents.

“The response from the community has been positive and we saw demand for the clinic from the first day of operation,” Ms Gunn said.

“Most patients have heard about the clinic via social media, with some telling us they have been referred to the Cairns South Medicare UCC by their regular GP.”

Mr Rooney said NQPHN acknowledged the significant work by the Cairns Urgent Care Clinic team to establish the Medicare UCC during very difficult circumstances caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper and the subsequent flooding.

“The dedication and commitment by staff preparing the service enabled the facility to be established in a very short time frame and available to the community at a time of need,” he said.

Robust referral pathways to the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, local emergency departments, and back to the patient's regular GP, ensure continuity of care and access to care when it is needed.

The Cairns South Medicare UCC is located next to Balance! Edmonton Family Practice at 5b Walker Rd, Edmonton, and is open seven days a week, including public holidays, from 12pm – 8pm weekdays, and 10am – 6pm on weekends. Plans are now under way to extend opening hours.

Caption from left: Balance! Healthcare Founder and Director Kate Gunn (front), Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) NQ Health Priorities Lead Gilyan Thorn (back), Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service (CHHHS) Director of Medical and Emergency Services Lachlan Gordon, Senator for Queensland Nita Green, State Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt, Queensland Ambulance Service A/ Assistant Commissioner Brina Keating, Federal Government’s Senator for the Australian Capital Territory and Minister for Finance, Women and the Public Service the Hon Katy Gallagher, Cairns Urgent Care Clinic Practice Manager Anna Stuy, and NQPHN Board Deputy Chair Tara Diversi.