Urgent care when you need it most

When 12-year-old school student Samson Jansen arrived home from a GPS tennis tournament with a deep cut between his eyebrows, mum Vanessa knew he was going to need more than a sticking plaster and a good lie down.

“Samson had finished his last match when he ran and tripped into the corner of a table, which cut him right between the eyes,” Vanessa said.

“He caught the school bus back home, but the moment I saw him, I knew he needed proper medical treatment. Kids accidents always seem to happen after hours, and fortunately the new Medicare Urgent Care Clinic at Southport was up and running, and not far from home.”

Vanessa said the care was exceptional.

“The people were so lovely; they guided us into a private room, and they spent so much time making sure Samson was comfortable and looked after properly. They found the cut was down to the bone and although Samson was traumatised, the doctor and staff were so good with him, and, really, it couldn’t have been a better patient experience,” she said.

And there was a tiny touch of déjà vu to it all.

“About four or five years ago, Samson went over the handlebar of his pushbike and had a small stone lodged in his lip and we realised the doctor who treated him that time was the same doctor this time. That added a bit to Samson’s confidence during his latest experience.”

When kids get sick or injured – and it’s not life threatening – parents often face a tough choice between waiting for an appointment with their local GP or rushing to the emergency department.

Families on the Gold Coast have another option.

Medicare Urgent Care Clinics at Southport and Oxenford provide bulk-billed urgent care for minor illnesses and injuries. Both clinics are open 365 days a year, including public holidays, from 8am-10pm. No appointment or referral is needed.

Learn more about your local Medicare Urgent Care Clinics.