Western Victoria Primary Health Network (WVPHN) congratulates ForHealth, an experienced primary healthcare service on their appointment as provider for the new Torquay Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (MUCC), following a rigorous tender process. ForHealth will be delivering the service in partnership with Surfcoast Medical Centre, an established general practice in Torquay since 1977.
“ForHealth is a highly experienced primary health service, currently delivering health care in 34 other MUCCs across the country,” said WVPHN CEO Craig Wilding. “The Torquay MUCC will commence services in the coming months, in time for the many visitors who come to the Surf Coast during the holiday season. As well as that, the Torquay MUCC will service the growing population of the Surf Coast and surrounding communities.”
Earlier this year WVPHN undertook a rigorous tender process to establish an MUCC in Torquay following the Australian Government’s commitment to increase access to affordable, high quality primary care across the nation.
In May 2025, the federal government announced an expansion of the MUCC program by an extra 50 MUCCs across the country, including Torquay.
MUCCs increase access to affordable, high quality primary care for all Australians.
The Torquay clinic will be open seven days a week and will initially commence at ten hours per day, building up to 14 hours per day by March 2026.
Attendances to all MUCCs are bulk billed.
MUCCs are staffed by a team of vocationally registered General Practitioners (GPs) nurses and/or paramedics, and patients will be triaged on arrival to determine their suitability for the service and their priority for care. MUCCs treat patients with urgent but not life-threatening conditions like lacerations or cuts requiring stitches, basic fractures, minor burns, rashes, ear nose and throat infections, other minor infections, and gastroenteritis.
Patients requiring non-urgent regular medical care will be redirected to their regular GP for ongoing management. Patients experiencing an emergency or life-threatening conditions should still attend an Emergency Department. This includes conditions such as severe breathing difficulties leaving the person unable to speak, stroke symptoms, anaphylaxis, significant bleeding, deep or large burns, and major breaks or major fractures.