Newcastle’s Heal Urgent Care is bridging the gap between General Practice and the Emergency Department
Newcastle West is now home to a state-of-the-art healthcare facility, Heal Specialist Urgent Care. Founded by Specialist Emergency Physician Dr Tim Stewart, it is a first for the region and one of the first clinics of its kind in Australia.
We were invited on a behind-the-scenes tour of the facility where Dr Stewart explained the concept of Heal and what he and the team are working towards.
“What we set out to do with Heal is to provide an exceptional alternative to the Emergency Department for those patients needing immediate medical attention for an acute illness or injury, with as little stress as possible.
“Having worked for almost 20 years in various public hospital emergency departments, I’m passionate about enhancing the patient experience by offering a service that is convenient and efficient, whilst offering exceptional medical care.
"By offering an end-to-end solution for people, we are offloading our overcrowded emergency departments, allowing our colleagues to focus on real emergencies, and benefiting our public health system overall.”
Entering via the Parry St entrance Dr Stewart explained that throughout the design process the comfort of patients was kept top-of-mind, which was evident as soon as we arrived. Buzzed through from reception to the waiting area we were met by People Experience Manager, Nico Vierne. Nico’s job is to make your visit to Heal as stress-free as possible as well as ensuring communication between staff and patients is kept free flowing.
The waiting room has a distinctly hotel lobby type feel to it, with sparkling water on tap, iPads to keep the kids occupied, a well stocked refreshment fridge, and comfy chairs are plentiful to keep you as relaxed as possible.
Moving from the waiting area to a treatment room it’s clear no shortcuts have been taken, as Dr Stewart explains:
“The new clinic has been built from the ground up, all with our patients in mind. Onsite we can access services such as pathology and x-ray facilities 7 days a week. Heal also has a hospital grade isolation zone for those patients with respiratory viruses and other infectious illnesses like gastro”.
“Extra large private rooms are also available if the family needs to come along, we also have the added convenience of free on site parking.”
Whilst requiring specialist emergency care may not be at the top of your must-do list, it’s comforting to know that there is now a service available that can assist should the need arise. Medical conditions that can be treated include injuries such as fractures, sprains, strains and lacerations; and illnesses such as respiratory, infections including STIs, fever, migraine, and skin conditions including rashes. Heal can care for all age groups, not just kids.
Open 7 days per week, 365 days per year, you’ll find Heal Specialist Urgent Care at 94-96 Parry St, Newcastle West. If you’re interested in taking your own virtual tour, visit Heal Urgent Care.