A new Medicare Urgent Care Clin­ic will open in Bridgewater, giving local residents easier access to free medical care for non-emergency health issues. The clinic will be lo­cated at Jordan River Health, 9-11 Hurst Street, and is due to open at the end of the year.

The new facility aims to ease pres­sure on the Royal Hobart Hospital, which saw a significant number of non-urgent cases in 2022-23. The clinic will provide walk-in ser­vices seven days a week, offering treatment for non-life-threatening conditions like cuts, sprains, rash­es, and viral infections.

Like all Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, the Bridgewater clinic will be fully bulk billed, meaning patients will only need their Medi­care card, no payment is required.

The Bridgewater clinic will be the fifth of its kind in Tasmania, joining existing clinics in Devon­port, Launceston, Hobart (Liv­erpool Street & Bathurst Street). These clinics have already handled almost 50,000 visits, with a sig­nificant number of patients being children and many visits occurring outside of regular hours, including evenings and weekends.