The Ipswich Medicare Mental Health Centre is helping to take pressure off the Ipswich Hospital Emergency Department and local police and ambulance services, attending to 1,660 appointments in its first 12 months of operation.

The Ipswich centre, which opened in central Ipswich in late 2023, is one of four Medicare Mental Health Centres currently operating across Queensland, with centres also located in Townsville, Kingaroy and Logan.

The Albanese Labor Government is rolling out 61 Medicare Mental Health Centres across the country. So far, 31 centres have opened, including the centre in Ipswich.

Medicare Mental Health Centres offer support from psychologists, social workers, mental health nurses and peer workers.

To ensure better access to specialist care, the Australian Government is investing an additional $29.9 million so that every centre has a psychologist and psychiatrist on call.

Member for Blair Shayne Neumann said Medicare Mental Health Clinics provided more appropriate care and support for patients with mental health issues, saving them time and avoiding further distress and anxiety from waiting for long periods in an ED.

According to the Australian Medical Association’s latest mental health Public Hospital Report Card released in November, patients waited an average of seven hours in Emergency Departments before they were admitted to hospital in the 2022-23 financial year.

In addition, the AMA has reported that the number of patients with mental illness triaged as an emergency had more than doubled over a period of 12 years, with more patients arriving at hospitals by ambulance or police services.

Mr Neumann said the Ipswich Medicare Mental Health Centre provided a safe and welcoming space for people in the community and was taking pressure off other parts of the health system and first responders.

“Mental health is a significant concern in the Ipswich region and our community needs support with mental health concerns, including depression and anxiety,” he said.

"Unfortunately, in the 2021 Census the most common long-term health condition in Ipswich was a mental health condition – at 11% of the population – higher than the Queensland (9.6%) and national (8.8%) averages.

“Primary care is the first port of call for many of these people, with about one in six (or 50,000) people seeing their local GP about a mental health issue, including to develop a mental health care plan.

“The community in Ipswich can now access free mental health care close to home, with this centre offering free, walk-in care, as part of our plan to strengthen Medicare.

“The Albanese Government is making sure that everyone can get the mental health care and support they need.”

Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler visited the new centre in Ipswich in November and praised the vital work of staff in addressing the mental health needs of the Ipswich community.

The centre is located at Level 1 Eats Building, Nicholas Street Precinct, Ipswich and is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 6pm. The centre provides immediate support for anyone who needs mental health advice or care as well as support for those in distress.

The Ipswich Medicare Mental Health Centre can be contacted on 1800 595 212 or via health.gov.au/medicare-mental-health