Urgent care services help to reduce the pressure on the hospital system and enable people to see a doctor or nurse (typically in a community setting) when they require urgent, but not life-threatening care.
Medicare Urgent Care Clinics
The Australian Government is working with states and territories and Primary Health Networks to progressively establish 58 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics (Medicare UCCs) before the end of 2023. Medicare UCCs are helping reduce the pressure on the hospital system and make it easier for people to see a doctor or nurse when they require urgent, but not life-threatening, care. Patients who need routine and non-urgent health care should see their local or regular GP.
Referral Information
Adelaide PHN is pleased to announce the following general practices as the providers of Medicare Urgent Care Clinics (UCC) services across the four locations in the Adelaide PHN region to June 2026:
Adelaide Central Location – Old Port Road Medical and Dental Centre (established as Western Medicare UCC)
Southern Adelaide Metropolitan Location – Marion Domain Medical and Dental Centre (established as Marion Medicare UCC)
Outer Northern Adelaide Metropolitan Location – Elizabeth Medical and Dental Centre (established as Elizabeth Medicare UCC)
Outer Southern Location - Morphett Vale Family Practice (established as Morphett Vale Medicare UCC)
The Medicare UCCs will be open extended hours, seven days a week and offer walk-in care that is fully bulk billed.
Medicare Urgent Care Clinics make it easier for you to see a doctor for urgent, but not life-threatening, care.
They are bulk-billed and open extended hours, 7 days a week.
You don’t need an appointment or referral. You can walk in and wait to be seen.
Medicare UCCs are staffed by highly qualified doctors and nurses.
Medicare UCCs provide timely high-quality care, so you don’t have to wait long hours in a hospital emergency department.
Visit a Medicare UCC near you for urgent conditions, including: * minor illnesses or infections, respiratory illness, gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections (UTI) and sexually transmitted infections (STI) * minor injuries, including injured limbs and minor fractures * cuts and minor burns.
Urgent care is when you 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 a GP.
Do not visit a Medicare UCC for emergency care. In an emergency always call triple zero (000) or go straight to your closest emergency department.
Your usual GP should be your first point of contact for routine and preventative health care. Some GPs also offer same day appointments.
In partnership with SA Health and general practices, Adelaide PHN has supported the establishment of four Priority Care Centres (PCCs) across metropolitan Adelaide.
These centres provide community-based health care and treatment for eligible patients who would otherwise be seeking a service from an Emergency Department (ED. PCCs are GP-led with additional support from hospital staff specially trained in acute assessment and care. PCCs are located in the suburbs where data indicated higher rates or lower acuity presentations to ED.
Referral to any of the four Priority Care Centres (PCCs) - Marion, Elizabeth , Para Hills West and Hindmarsh - is detailed on SA Health's website at sahealth.sa.gov.au/prioritycarecentres.
In summary:
When a patient arrives at a public hospital ED or if they call an ambulance for transport, SA Health clinical staff will assess their condition. If their condition is assessed as appropriate and eligible for care by a PCC, the patient will be offered the opportunity to visit their local PCC or they can wait to be seen at the ED.