Urgent Care Services have been introduced in New South Wales (NSW) to help reduce pressure on emergency departments.

These services give people the treatment they need quickly for an illness or injury that is not an emergency, without waiting in a busy emergency department. Many of these services have medical practitioners and diagnostic equipment including  x-ray, pathology, and can therefore treat a variety of conditions. 

Some examples of illnesses or injuries that are not usually considered an emergency include:

• minor cuts
• sprains or suspected fractures
• sports injuries
• minor infections
• urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• minor burns
• rashes
• insect or animal bites
• cough, cold or flu
• mild asthma attacks
• earaches
• fevers or chills.

Eligibility

You may be eligible to access an Urgent Care Service if you are:

• a resident living in a community located in NSW or near its border
• experiencing an acute injury or illness that is not an emergency
• needing medical treatment in the next 2 to 12 hours; and
• unable to get an appointment with your own General Practitioner (GP) or at nearby medical centres. 

How to access

Please call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for free at anytime (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). A registered nurse (RN) will answer your call and ask you some questions about your condition.  Depending on the assessment made by the RN, you may be referred to an Urgent Care Service.  If you are referred to an Urgent Care Service, the RN will provide you the details to access the service.  Depending on your condition, the RN may recommend an alternative treatment option for you.

Governance

The urgent care committee oversees the running of the urgent care clinics and services in our region to ensure they are operating in accordance with their mandate.  Part of this governance process to to ensure that patients are linked back in with a regular GP to provide ongoing primary health care.