Reported at www.theguardian.com: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a pledge of $644 million to establish 50 new Medicare urgent care clinics across Australia by mid-2026.

This initiative aims to ensure that around 80% of Australians will live within a 20-minute drive of these bulk-billing clinics, which provide free care for non-life-threatening conditions.

The government aims to alleviate pressure on public hospitals and has previously opened 87 similar clinics, serving over 1.2 million people.