Medicare UCCs provide urgent bulk-billed health care in a general practice setting, offering acute episodic care and treatment that does not require a hospital admission.

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Labor has announced a $644 million package to open the clinics across Australia, including 14 in New South Wales.

Once all of Labor’s clinics are open, four out of five Australians will live within a 20-minute drive of a UCC, the government says.

However none are planned for the Lyne electorate, despite what Mr Miller describes as a “clear need”.

The Federal Election candidate says this is “simply not good enough”.

“Local voters have been forgotten by both major parties yet again,” Mr Miller said.

“If we don’t stand up together and make our voices heard, the major parties will just keep ignoring us.”

In the Hunter, both major parties have promised to deliver an urgent care clinic (UCC) in Maitland if successful at the 2025 Federal election.

Labor said the Maitland clinic would begin operating seven days a week with extended hours in the 2025-26 financial year.

“At this election Australia faces a choice: a stronger Medicare with more bulk billing for all Australians under Labor, or more cuts to Medicare under Peter Dutton’s Liberals,” said Member for Paterson Meryl Swanson.

“Only Labor will deliver a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Maitland.”

The Liberals on the other hand claim that Maitland is yet to receive a UCC due to being “taken for granted by Labor”.

“Labor has had three years to secure an Urgent Care Clinic for Paterson, but they have failed to deliver,” Liberal candidate for Paterson Laurence Antcliff said.

“After the last election, Hunter, Shortland, and Newcastle all received Urgent Care Clinics, but Paterson was left behind – I will make that right.”