Aspen Medical has been appointed by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHA) as a member of the panel to provide surge workforce services to support Medicare Urgent Care Clinics (UCCs).
Medicare UCCs are being established across Australia to improve local access to urgent care, with the aim to reduce the level of low-acuity attendance at nearby public hospital emergency departments (EDs). This will allow public hospital EDs to focus on serious and life-threatening presentations.
The Medicare UCCs are a new model of care that will integrate and align with existing service offerings to reduce pressure on our hospitals and will:
- be based in existing GP clinics, community health centres and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services
- provide free services for patients
- be open after normal business hours and accept walk-in patients
- be diverse, responding to the needs of the local community
- be accessible to all people, including vulnerable people and young people.
According to Nicole Longley, GM – Service Delivery Line, “With over 20 years’ experience in deploying health professionals all across Australia and the world, Aspen Medical has a large pool of highly-qualified health professionals including General Practitioners, Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Paramedics, and Allied Health Professionals that we can call upon at short notice. We look forward to assisting the UCCs in delivering quality healthcare services to their communities.”
People will be able to attend a Medicare UCC for non-life threatening acute episodic care for minor injuries and illnesses such as closed fractures, simple eye injuries, minor burns, treating a UTI or an ear infection.
As and when required by Medicare UCCs, Aspen Medical will assist in addressing workforce shortages in Medicare UCC locations throughout Australia, including metro, regional and remote locations.
