Urgent care clinics across Melbourne's east treated more than 91,000 patients last financial year, diverting some away from an emergency department (ED) visit or an ambulance drive and relieving stress on the city’s healthcare system.
However, local data shows patients are using urgent care clinics for different reasons: about three-quarters of patients at the Bayswater clinic said they would have otherwise gone to an ED or called an ambulance, compared to just 39 percent at Mount Waverley.
What are urgent care clinics?: The state government launched urgent care clinics in September 2022, with longer operating hours providing fast medical treatment for urgent but not life-threatening conditions.
Local health networks deliver the service, with funding then largely sourced via the federal government.
You do not require an appointment, GP referral or Medicare card to attend. All consultations are bulk-billed.
Zooming in: According to the Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (EMPHN), the eight clinics across Melbourne’s east – Forest Hill, Lilydale, Mount Waverley, Maroondah (Bayswater), Monash (Clayton), Eltham, Epping and Heidelberg – treated 91,343 patients during the 2025-26 financial year – a 7.69 percent increase compared to the year prior.
The Bayswater clinic saw more than 14,000 presentations during the 2025-26 financial year, while Mount Waverley supported more than 12,600 patients over this period.
The Lilydale centre opened in December 2025, treating more than 4,500 people until the end of June.
Since its launch, 76 percent of patients visiting the Bayswater clinic reported they would have otherwise visited an ED or called an ambulance. About 39 percent of patients said the same at the Mount Waverley clinic.
Review underway: The federal government is conducting an evaluation into the program, with an interim report estimating a 10.6 percent reduction in urgent-care equivalent ED presentations between April 2024 and March 2025.
Between June 30 2023 and August 10 2025, 44.6 percent of patients said they would have otherwise attended an ED.
Boosting health: A $10 million investment in the 2026-27 state budget supports the nine state-funded clinics, which includes Forest Hill and Monash.
The Victorian Labor government has also announced it is opening 12 new hospitals and upgrading facilities at 40 other centres, via a $31 billion investment into the state’s health system this year.
Opposing views: Victoria’s Liberal Party has not made any recent pledges to increase funding or the overall numbers of UCCs across the state.
Instead, the party has criticised the condition of major hospitals and committed more than $1.4 billion towards four upgrade projects across centres in West Gippsland, Rosebud, Mildura and Hamilton.