St John urgent care centres a new treatment option

St John Ambulance acquired Apollo Health medical centres in Cockburn, Joondalup, Cannington and Armadale in June.

The clinics at the Cockburn Gateway shopping centre precinct and Joondalup have been turned into urgent-care centres.

The urgent-care centres will be used to treat patients with non life-threatening conditions including sprains or possible breaks, cuts that require stitches, minor burns and flu and cold symptoms.

The centres will operate from 8am to 10pm and be staffed by a doctor, nurse and paramedics, with the aim of easing the burden on hospital emergency departments.

Clinics will accept walk-in patients and there are plans to include ambulance arrivals in the future, but patients will only be taken to an urgent-care centre rather than an emergency department when it is considered clinically appropriate and the patient gives consent.