The urgent care clinics promised for Western and South West Sydney, including one in Campbelltown, remain undelivered as the Labor Government fails to meet the delivery deadline, says the federal opposition.
Labor promised all 50 urgent care clinics announced during the election would be up and running by July 1, 2023, but only a handful have actually been established by the Albanese Labor Government to date.
The government’s failure to establish and deliver the original 50 clinics within their own timeframe is a blatant broken promise.
“As we reach the July 1 deadline, we still have no details about where the missing clinics will be exactly located or when patients can be expected to walk through the doors,” says the shadow minister for health, Anne Ruston.
“Labor also promised that every urgent care clinic would be open during the extended times of 8am-10pm as a key part of their operation, but it was revealed in Budget Estimates that this won’t even be the case,” Senator Ruston said.
“It is becoming more and more evident that Labor sold the public a lie.’’
Marise Payne, Liberal Senator for Western Sydney, said that since this Labor Government came to power, it has become more difficult to get access to a GP, and the healthcare system is under serious pressure.
“And now they have broken their promise on delivering an urgent care clinic to relieve our local hospitals,” Senator Payne said.
“Labor promised local residents that they would establish this additional health service, yet their failure to meet the deadline proves that they cannot be trusted to deliver real and urgent outcomes.”
“The Albanese Government continues to prove that Labor only prioritises health during election campaigns, and they fail when it comes to actually delivering the services that the people in Western and South West Sydney need.’’
Marise Payne is not the Liberal Senator for Western Sydney. There is no such thing. She is a Senator representing all of the constituents of NSW.