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 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.
Chief Minister, Andrew Barr said Canberra’s network of five Walk-in Centres – in Tuggeranong, Weston Creek, West Belconnen, Gungahlin and the Inner North – were a “real success story” in taking pressure off busy emergency departments across the Territory.
“Across the Centres, our fantastic nurses and nurse practitioners provide local, fast and affordable healthcare to thousands of Canberrans every year,” said Mr Barr.
“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.
“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,” the Chief Minister said.
He said the Walk-in Centres had played a vital role in the ACT’s 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.”
The Inner North Walk-in Centre is located at 111 Dickson Place, Dickson. Opening hours are 7.30am – 10pm every day.
For more information: www.health.act.gov.au
