The federal government has restored opening hours at two of the Hunter's GP Access After Hours clinics after reinstating the service's funding.
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The Belmont Hospital clinic has resumed operating from 6 to 10pm on weekdays, 1 to 10pm on Saturdays and 3 to 10pm on Sundays.
The Calvary Mater Hospital GP Access clinic reopened in May and from this week will extend its Sunday closing time by six hours to 10pm.
The Mater clinic had been closed for almost 18 months and the other Hunter GP Access clinics operating with reduced hours after the then NSW and federal Coalition governments failed to reach a funding agreement for the service in late 2021.
The Albanese government described this week's Belmont and Mater changes as the "latest tranche" in restoring the service.
It is working with the not-for-profit Primary Health Network to continue restoring full hours at Toronto Polyclinic.
GP Access also operates at New Maitland Hospital and John Hunter Hospital, providing bulk-billed face-to-face and tele-health consultations outside business hours.
Labor committed in the October budget to spending $28.7 million over six years to restore the service, which is staffed by general practitioners and nurses outside normal practice hours to meet the needs of patients and take pressure off hospital emergency wards.
IN THE NEWS
Michael Parris
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
