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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
Health
Damon Cronshaw

Calvary Mater GP Access after-hours clinic to reopen on May 29

Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon at the Calvary Mater in December 2021 to discuss the GP Access after-hours clinic with Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery and nurse Phillipe Millard. Picture by Jonathan Carroll

The GP Access After Hours service at Calvary Mater Hospital at Waratah will reopen on May 29, after being out of action for almost 18 months.

The service had closed due to a lack of funding, a freeze in Medicare revenue and slow demand during COVID lockdowns, under the former Coalition government.

The Albanese government said in April that it would provide $5.5 million a year for four years to fund the Calvary after-hours service, along with others at Belmont, John Hunter, Maitland and Toronto.

Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon said the re-opening of the Calvary Mater service is "a massive win for our community".

"I want to express my gratitude to the people of Newcastle for making this possible," Ms Claydon said.

To use the service, the "only card you need is your Medicare card", she said.

Hunter Primary Care signed a contract with the Hunter New England Central Coast Primary Health Network to run the services for two years.

The primary health network is a not-for-profit organisation set up and funded by the federal government.

Hunter Primary Care chief operating officer Keith Drinkwater said "the Calvary Mater service has been greatly missed by the community over the past 18 months".

"We are very pleased to now be in a position to reinstate this valuable service," Mr Drinkwater said.

He said many hours of work with staff, GPs, the Calvary and others had occurred to "ensure we have the space and equipment required to re-open the clinic".

The Calvary mater clinic will be open on weeknights from 6pm to 10pm, Saturdays from 1pm to 8pm and Sundays from 9am to 4pm.

The GP after-hours clinic will also be restored at the Westlakes Community Health Centre at Toronto from June 3. Its opening hours will be the same as the Calvary clinic.

Work is occurring on the next phase to restore hours that were reduced at the clinics at Belmont, John Hunter and Maitland hospitals.

Appointments must be booked via the GP Access call centre on 1300 130 147.

To see more stories and read today's paper download the Newcastle Herald news app here.

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