Walk-in Centres provide free health care for non-life threatening injuries and illnesses to anyone who is over one year of age. They are part of the national network of Medicare Urgent Care Clinics.
The centres are open 7 days a week, including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day between 7.30am and 10pm. You don’t need to make an appointment, just come on in.
About this service
We are staffed by Advance Practice Nurses and Nurse Practitioners. We do not have doctors. If your health needs are more than we can provide, we will direct or support you to the right care.
We can treat a wide range of non-life-threating injuries and illness. For more information about what Walk-in Centres can and can’t treat, click on any of the categories below. Please note this guidance is general in nature and does not replace health assessment.
Emergency conditions
If you have any of the following symptoms do not come to a Walk-in Centre. Call 000 or go straight to your nearest emergency department:
- severe difficulty breathing, for example, you may be breathing very fast, gasping for air, or cannot speak in full sentences
- chest pain where you are worried about your heart
- severe physical trauma (this is a sudden injury to your body from an impact, violence or accident that has the potential to cause disability or death. Causes could include falls, motor vehicle collisions, stabbing wounds or other causes)
- severe allergic reactions, signs might include difficulty breathing, a swollen tongue or other signs
- head, neck or severe eye injuries
- sudden inability to move or speak, or sudden facial drooping
- a mental health crisis, where someone may hurt themselves or others
- severe bleeding or you can't control bleeding with pressure.
Respiratory (breathing) conditions and ear, nose, throat problems
Walk-in Centres can treat:
- Common colds
- Influenza (flu)
- COVID-19
- Sinusitis
- Tonsillitis
- Middle and outer ear infections.
Walk-in Centres cannot treat:
- Prolonged cold and flu symptoms (more than 4 weeks)
- Ongoing management of asthma or other long-term respiratory conditions (please follow your asthma management plan)
- Concerns for long-COVID.
Please see your GP.
Go to the emergency department or call 000 if you have:
- Severe difficulty breathing/shortness of breath
- Very unwell (feeling faint, dehydrated, fast heart rate).
Eye conditions
Walk-in Centres can treat:
Minor eye conditions and injuries, for example:
- Styes
- Meibomian cysts (you may have a meibomian cyst if one of the oil glands in your eyelid gets clogged, causing a lump to form. It’s usually not painful, but it can swell and feel uncomfortable or look puffy)
- Conjunctivitis (you may have conjunctivitis if your eye is red, itchy, and watery - sometimes with a sticky discharge)
- Minor corneal abrasions (scratch on the surface of the eye)
- Non-embedded foreign bodies.
Walk-in Centres cannot treat:
- Long-term eye conditions
- Sudden red or painful eye.
Please see your GP and/or an optometrist.
Go to the emergency department or call 000 if you have:
- Severe eye pain (pain so bad it stops you from doing your usual activities)
- Chemical exposure
- Injury to the eye, such as something piercing your eye
- Swelling
- Reduction or loss of vision.
Injuries, bites and stings
Head injuries
Walk-in Centres can treat:
- Minor head injuries (bumps and scrapes) when you:
- did not get ‘knocked out’ or lose consciousness
- have only minor pain, described as sore or annoying, and
- are still able to work, sleep, eat, talk and walk as normal.
Walk-in Centres cannot treat:
- Moderate head injuries. This means the pain might be described as ongoing or distracting.
Please see your GP.
Go to the emergency department or call 000 if you have:
- Moderate to severe head injuries with or without loss of consciousness. Might be described as intense and affect your movement, make you feel sick, dizzy or short of breath.
Limb injuries
Walk-in Centres can treat:
- Simple limb injuries. These are sprains, strains and fractures that affect your:
- arm below and including the elbow
- leg below and including the knee
- fingers or toes
- ankle or wrist
- An injury that has not pushed the limb out of shape (distorted it) or punctured the skin.
Walk-in Centres cannot treat:
- Long-term injuries
- Back pain.
Please see your GP and consider seeing a physiotherapist.
Go to the emergency department or call 000 if you have:
- An injury from falling from a height
- An open fracture (where the bone is visible)
- An injury that has distorted or dislocated the limb
- Neck and back injuries.
Cuts and wounds
Walk-in Centres can treat:
- Minor cuts that may or may not need stitches
- Abrasions/scrapes or grazes
- Bruising
- Small and simple burns
- Small, localised wound infections.
Some wounds are more complex than they appear. This can happen if there is damage to the tendon, ligament or bone underneath. You may be told to go to the emergency department after you are seen at the Walk-in Centre.
Walk-in Centres cannot treat:
- Signs of infection and/or complications in surgical wounds
- Wounds that involve the lip which may need stitches
- Complex wound infections.
Please see your GP.
Go to the emergency department or call 000 if you have:
- Large wounds (large skin loss, extensive deep wounds)
- Uncontrolled bleeding
- Loss of a finger, toe, limb or other body part.
Animal and insect bites and stings
Walk-in Centres can treat:
- Insect stings
- Minor animal bites. You might have bruising, grazes or minor cuts/wounds that don’t need stitches.
Some wounds are more complex than they appear. This can happen if there is damage to the tendon, ligament or bone underneath. You may be told to go to the emergency department after you are seen at the Walk-in Centre.
Walk-in Centres cannot treat:
Bites and stings if:
- You are pregnant and think you need antibiotics
- You are immunocompromised: this is when your body's ability to fight infections is weakened due to a medical condition (like cancer or HIV) or treatment (like chemotherapy or certain medications)
- There are signs of wound infection.
Please see your GP.
Go to the emergency department or call 000 if you have:
- Anaphylactic symptoms: these can include any of the following: difficult or noisy breathing, difficulty talking and hoarse voice, a swollen tongue, persistent dizziness or collapse, swelling or tightness in the throat, pale and floppy (in young children), wheeze or persistent cough
- A crush injury: this is where the animal bite has crushed, fractured, or damaged the bone underneath
- Open fracture: this is where a broken bone has broken the skin
- Loss of finger, toe or limb
- Bleeding that does not stop when you put pressure on it
- Wounds caused by a bat or flying fox
- Bites near or on your eye/s
- Pain not that does not get better with simple pain relief (paracetamol/ibuprofen).
Headache and migraine
Walk-in Centres can treat:
- Mild headaches
- Migraine that's been previously diagnosed and you're having your usual symptoms.
Walk-in Centres cannot treat/provide:
- Long-term management of migraine.
Migraine if:
- You’re pregnant, or
- It’s your first migraine
- You’re not feeling better with simple pain relief like paracetamol and ibuprofen
- You’re immunocompromised or taking immunosuppressive drugs: this is when your body's ability to fight infections is weakened due to a medical condition (like cancer or HIV) or treatment (like chemotherapy or certain medications).
Please see your GP.
Go to the emergency department or call 000 if you have:
Severe headache with:
- Sudden onset (‘thunderclap’)
- Painful red eye with changes to your vision and/or jaw pain/cramping.
Vaccinations
Walk-in Centres can provide:
- Tetanus booster, while treating you for an injury/wound.
Walk-in Centres cannot provide:
- Other vaccinations.
Please see your GP or pharmacy.
Mental health
Walk-in Centres can provide:
- Mental health first aid - this is the quick, same-day care we give when you’re feeling overwhelmed or having a flare-up of mild anxiety or depression - think of it as one off urgent care for your mind, not a long-term treatment plan.
Walk-in Centres cannot treat/provide:
- Mental health assessments and plans
- Ongoing therapy
- Medication reviews/renewals
- Moderate to severe mental health issues.
Please see your GP. Alternatively, if you have any significant concerns regarding your mental health, please contact the Access Mental Health Team which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on 1800 629 354.
Go to the emergency department or call 000 if you are having:
- A mental health crisis, where you are at risk of hurting yourself or someone else.
Referrals, tests, follow-up and certificates
Walk-in Centres can provide:
- Sick certificates. These cannot be backdated and are generally accepted by employers for short-term absences, however, some employers or universities may insist on a medical certificate from a doctor.
Walk-in Centres cannot provide:
- Medical certificates, including medical clearance to return to work, sport, school or childcare, and worker’s compensation claims
- Scripts for medicines (new or renewal)
- Follow-up after hospital discharge
- Follow-up of pathology results and GP ordered imaging
- Blood tests
- Workers' compensation claims
- Referrals to all specialists, for example, immunology, dermatology, endocrinology, etc.
Please see your GP.
Sexual and reproductive health and urinary symptoms
Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
Walk-in Centres can treat:
- Female urinary tract infection (for people 15 years and older). Symptoms may include pain, stinging or burning when doing a wee, smelly or cloudy urine, the need to wee frequently, fever, lower abdominal pain, blood in your wee.
Walk-in Centres cannot treat:
- Male urinary tract infection
- Female urinary tract infection (for people under 15 years of age)
- Kidney infection.
Please see your GP. Males with UTI symptoms can also see the Canberra Sexual Health Centre.
Pregnancy and reproductive health
Walk-in Centres can provide:
- Emergency contraception or pregnancy test (urine test only).
Walk-in Centres cannot treat/provide:
- Early miscarriage or if you think you have had a miscarriage
- Care after terminating a pregnancy
- Pregnancy related conditions. We do not provide care for pregnancy-related conditions (such as pregnancy complications, antenatal care, or labour concerns). However, we welcome pregnant patients who need treatment for other health issues such as sprains, cold and flu and so on.
Please see your GP or pregnancy care provider.
Go to the emergency department or call 000 if you have:
- Vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain when pregnant/potentially pregnant.
Sexual health
Walk-in Centres can provide:
- Sexual health screening for chlamydia and gonorrhoea.
Walk-in Centres cannot provide:
- Treatment for chlamydia and gonorrhoea, or other sexually transmitted disease
- Comprehensive sexual health screening.
Please see your GP, the Canberra Sexual Health Centre or another provider.
Go to the emergency department if you need:
- Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) - this is medicine provided to prevent HIV infection after being exposed to the virus.
Also available from the Canberra Sexual Health Centre or your GP.
PEP should be started as soon as possible after HIV exposure. If it is after hours, go to the ED.
Digestive (stomach and gut) conditions
Gastroenteritis
Walk-in Centres can treat:
- Simple gastroenteritis: a short-term illness with symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain.
Walk-in Centres cannot treat:
Diarrhoea/vomiting if you:
- are over 65 years of age
- have been in hospital recently
- have recently taken antibiotics
- have had recent travel overseas
- have a small amount of blood in your poo
- have diarrhoea that does not get better after 72 hours
- have vomiting that does not get better after 24-48 hours
- have diabetes
- have a weakened immune system due to a health condition or medication (immunocompromised).
Please see your GP.
Go to the emergency department or call 000 if you have:
- Moderate to severe abdominal pain (pain that is sudden, intense, unbearable, or spreading; may be described as stabbing, crushing, burning, or making you panic. May make you feel you can’t move properly, feel sick, dizzy, or short of breath).
- Moderate to severe vomiting and/or diarrhoea, dehydration. This could mean you have vomiting and/or diarrhoea with very bad tummy pain, a high fever, blood in your vomit or poo. Signs of dehydration can include being unable to keep any fluids down for several hours, having very dry mouth or lips, not weeing, feeling confused, extremely weak, dizzy or lightheaded.
Skin, nails and teeth
Skin conditions
Walk-in Centres can treat:
Simple short-term skin conditions that may start suddenly and are typically short-lived, including:
- impetigo (school sores)
- eczema (mild, no signs of infection)
- scabies
- tinea
- shingles.
Walk-in Centres cannot treat:
- Long-term/chronic skin conditions
- Skin cancer checks
Please see your GP.
Nail conditions
Walk-in Centres can treat:
- Simple acute nail conditions such as paronychia. An acute condition is one that develops suddenly and is typically short-lived (days to weeks rather than months or years). Paronychia is an infection where the skin around the nail gets red, swollen and sore, sometimes with pus.
Walk-in Centres cannot treat:
- Recurrent or persistent nail conditions, for example, fungal infections.
Please see your GP or podiatrist.
Dental
Walk-in Centres can treat:
- Minor dental abscesses - this is a small, painful lump near a tooth that makes your tooth or gums sore, swollen and sensitive. (You will still need to see a dentist afterwards).
Walk-in Centres cannot treat:
- Dental injuries and infections other than minor abscesses.
Please see your GP and/or dentist.
Go to the emergency department or call 000 if you have:
- Any injury with severe bleeding or you can't control bleeding with pressure.
Allergies or reactions
Walk-in Centres can treat:
- Hives: these are red or skin-coloured raised bumps or welts on the skin, which are usually itchy
- Hay fever.
Walk-in Centres cannot treat/provide:
- Allergy testing
- Long-term management of allergies.
Please see your GP.
Go to the emergency department or call 000 if you have:
- Severe allergic reactions, for example, those involving breathing difficulties or facial swelling (anaphylaxis).
Cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) health
Walk-in Centres can provde:
- Blood pressure checks.
Walk-in Centres cannot treat:
- High blood pressure
- Palpitations that have self-resolved: palpitations can feel like your heart is beating faster or harder than usual or the pattern may feel unusual to you.
- Concerns for deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Symptoms of DVT may include pain, swelling and looking red or discoloured, especially to the calf.
Please see your GP.
Go to the emergency department or call 000 if you have:
- Palpitations with changing level of consciousness: palpitations can feel like your heart is beating faster or harder than usual or the pattern may feel unusual to you
- Chest pain with or without shortness of breath
- Sudden inability to move or speak, or sudden facial drooping.
Who we care for
We care for anyone over one year of age.
You do not need a Medicare card and all services are free.
Services outside the Walk-in Centre may be recommended or required during your visit – such as pathology tests, x-rays or referrals to other services in the hospital.
These additional services may incur out-of-pocket costs for people without a Medicare card.
This includes people who:
- are not Australian citizens
- are not eligible for Medicare cover.
- are not permanent resident visa holders
- are not Special Category Visa (SCV) holders
Private health insurance may not cover the full cost of hospital treatment or other services.
How to access this service
You do not need an appointment or any referral; you can just walk in between 7.30am and 10pm and wait for your turn to be seen.
There is no need to call us. Our nurses see people face to face and cannot take phone calls.
If you wish to speak to a nurse, please contact Health Direct: 1800 022 222.
An estimate of wait times at any of the Walk-in Centres is available below.
What to expect
We provide care on a first come, first seen basis.
When you arrive at a Walk-in Centre please tell our reception staff why you need to be seen by a nurse. They’ll ask you for your name and other details before you will wait for your turn.
If you consent, we will send your GP a summary of your visit.
In some cases the nurses at the Walk-in Centres may dispense/prescribe antibiotics for certain conditions/illnesses if they consider it appropriate after a clinical assessment.
What to bring to your appointment
- Medicare card (not essential)
- Any letters or correspondence from your GP
- List of medicines you are currently taking (or the boxes), including medicines you have bought without a prescription, such as herbal supplements and vitamins
- Your child’s personal health record (Blue Book).
Where we’re located
The Walk-in Centres are located in Belconnen, Tuggeranong, Inner North (Dickson), Weston and Gungahlin.
FAQs
We can answer some of your frequently asked questions about Walk-in Centres.
Current wait times
- Information provided on this page is a general guide only.
- Patients will be seen in order of urgency on arrival.
- Walk-in Centre waiting and treatment times are the calculated average times for non-critical patients in the previous 2 hours.
- Emergency Department treatment times are the calculated average times for non-critical patients in the previous 2 hours.
- Emergency Department waiting time represents the expected time 4 out of 5 non-critical patients will wait.
