The Bulli Urgent Care Centre will now open six days a week, with hopes it will further alleviate the pressure on Wollongong Hospital's overburdened emergency department.
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Health Minister and Keira MP, Ryan Park, and Member for Heathcote Maryanne Stuart made the announcement on Friday, with the centre to open its doors on Saturday for the first time on a weekend since its temporary closure in 2021.
"It was something that I heard as the Labor candidate and now state member a lot from residents... about the need for the extension of the Urgent Care Centre hours to help take the load off ED and also to have something closer for the folks in the northern Illawarra," Ms Stuart said.
Mr Park said the centre received 40 to 50 presentations each day.
"That's people who don't have to go to Wollongong emergency department, because what we do know, we are unfortunately having some issues with GPs and access to bulk-billing," he said.
"This is designed to fill a gap, not to designed to be a silver bullet, but designed to take some load off whilst at the same time, providing much-needed services to the people across the northern suburbs."
Mr Park said it was hoped the centre would open seven days a week later this year.
"I wanted to get to a stage where we were starting to move beyond five [days] and into a weekend, and see what that was like in terms of staffing, and making sure we've got the staffing resources available," he said.
"I deliberately wanted to do this in a graduated way."
Mr Park acknowledged there was a shortage of healthcare staff across the state and Australia, but said the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District was always advertising for staff.
Earlier this year, former Health Minister Brad Hazzard said there was not enough staff to open the centre every day of the week.
That same week, Mr Park promised that if Labor were elected they would have the centre running seven days.
Director of nursing at both Bulli and Coledale hospitals, Melissa Rees, said the demand for the centre on Saturdays would dictate what the service would look like when it did open on Sundays.
Mondays were busy for the centre, Mrs Rees said, and she hoped opening on Saturdays would even out that demand.
The centre provides treatment for minor injuries and illnesses, led by nurse practitioners.
It first opened in August 2020 but closed in 2021 due to COVID-19, before it was reopened last May.
Mr Park thanked the local health district for ensuring the service continued to grow, and said more and more people continued to use the service.
The Urgent Care Centre is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm, and now Saturdays from 8am to 4.30pm.
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Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
