Released 25/08/2020 - Joint media release
Canberra's newest nurse-led Walk-in Centre will open its doors tomorrow, providing free treatment for minor injuries and illness 365 days a year.
The Inner North Walk-in Centre delivers on ACT Labor's 2016 election commitment of providing more affordable, accessible healthcare to Canberrans closer to home.
Across Canberra, there is now a network of five Walk-in Centres in Tuggeranong, Weston Creek, West Belconnen, Gungahlin and the Inner North.
The Centre has been constructed as part of the redevelopment of the Dickson Community Health Centre, which will also re-open for podiatry and maternal and child health services.
Our network of nurse-led Walk-in Centres is a real success story for the ACT, taking pressure off our busy Emergency Departments by providing an alternative for minor injuries and illness from 7.30am to 10pm seven days a week.
Across the Centres, our fantastic nurses and nurse practitioners provide local, fast and affordable healthcare to thousands of Canberrans every year.
Since 2014, they have treated more than 282,000 patients, and presentations continue to grow year on year with more than 67,000 in 2019.
The Inner North Walk-in Centre team will comprise 16 additional nurses and four administration staff (10 FTE and 3.5 FTE respectively).
Across the ACT, more than 70 nurses and clinicians work across our five Walk-in Centres, providing professional, reliable and compassionate care across our city.
Our Walk-in Centres have played a vital role in the ACT response to COVID-19. The flexibility of the model enabled Canberra Health Services to quickly adapt the Weston Creek centre into a dedicated COVID-19 testing clinic, assessing thousands of Canberrans since April.
The ACT Government invested more than $10 million towards the construction and operation of the Inner North Walk-in Centre. We will continue to invest in health infrastructure to create jobs for Canberra and ensure our health system meets the growing needs of our city.
Other projects underway across the ACT health system include:
- Canberra Hospital expansion – as part of the Canberra Hospital expansion enabling works, the demolition of Building 8 at Canberra Hospital is nearly complete. A new three-storey modular building will house the Canberra Sexual Health Centre, Staff Development Unit, Surgical Training Centre, University of Canberra training and research, ANU teaching and training and Hospital administration functions.
- Centenary Hospital for Women and Children Expansion Project – upgrades to the existing hospital to provide additional services for babies, women and children across our region.
- Northside Opioid Treatment Service - creating a new satellite clinic at the Belconnen Community Health Centre in Canberra's north.
The establishment of the Inner North Walk-in Centre is a Labor-Greens Parliamentary Agreement item.
The Inner North Walk-in Centre is located at 111 Dickson Place, Dickson.
Opening hours are 7.30am - 10pm every day of the year.
For more information: www.health.act.gov.au
- Statement ends -
Andrew Barr, MLA | Rachel Stephen-Smith, MLA | Media Releases