SmartCare UrgentCare, Springfield.
AVHS and SmartCare UrgentCare have partnered to give the Defence community in Greater Springfield and Ipswich direct access to Emergency Specialist Care, without the emergency department wait.
World-class healthcare for those who served.
If you're a veteran, a current serving member, or a Defence family member in the Greater Springfield and Ipswich region, your healthcare just got stronger.
AVHS, founded by veteran medical officers, provides comprehensive primary care, specialist treatment, mental health support, and DVA claims assistance for the Defence community. AVHS knows your service history, understands the system, and charges no fees to veterans.
Located in the Springfield Central precinct alongside AVHS, SmartCare UrgentCare provides Emergency Specialist Care directed by Fellows of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine. Their team brings extensive experience from both public and private emergency departments, with several practitioners offering direct expertise in Defence and military health.
Together, AVHS and SmartCare have formed a shared care partnership so that when something urgent comes up between your regular AVHS appointments, you have somewhere to go right away, with the clinical depth to properly assess and treat you, and the communication pathways to keep your AVHS care team fully informed.
This is not a walk-in convenience clinic. This is Emergency Specialist Care, purpose-built for presentations that are genuinely time-sensitive, backed by same-day diagnostics, clear hospital escalation pathways, and a direct line back to your AVHS team.
Not every concern can wait, not every concern needs an ED.
SmartCare UrgentCare fills that critical gap, with Emergency Specialists, same-day diagnostics, and a direct line back to your AVHS team.
Sudden flare-up of pain, back, joints, muscles, or an old service injury playing up badly
A fall, sprain, or possible fracture
Non life-threatening chest pain or heart related symptoms requiring same-day assessment
Acute infection, respiratory, urinary, skin, or ear and throat
Eye injury or sudden vision change
Urgent wound assessment, cuts, lacerations, or signs of infection
Severe migraine or sudden headache
Fever that is not settling or getting worse
Same-day imaging (X-ray, CT, ultrasound) or blood tests to work out what is going on
Acute situational mental health concerns requiring same-day clinical assessment
When to call 000 instead
SmartCare treats urgent presentations that are not immediately life-threatening. If you or someone you're with is experiencing a medical emergency, loss of consciousness, severe chest pain with difficulty breathing, stroke symptoms, uncontrolled bleeding, or serious self-harm, call 000 immediately. If you're unsure, call SmartCare on 1300 893 183 and the team can help you decide the right level of care.
Emergency Specialist Care, focused on you.
Emergency departments are designed for life-threatening emergencies. For presentations that are urgent but not life-threatening, an ED visit often means long waits, limited follow-up, and no communication back to your regular care team.
At SmartCare you'll be seen by an Emergency Specialist, the same calibre of doctor who leads emergency departments, but in a focused, efficient setting where your presentation gets dedicated attention. You'll have access to CT scans, X-rays, ultrasound, and pathology on the same visit. And because of the AVHS partnership, your results and clinical summary go directly to your AVHS care team, so nothing falls through the cracks.
Three ways in.
- 1Walk in directly
SmartCare UrgentCare is a walk-in clinic, no appointment or referral needed. Present to the clinic during opening hours and let reception know you're an AVHS patient. Bring your DVA card (Gold or White) if you have one.
- 2Call SmartCare first
If you're not sure whether your concern warrants urgent care, or you'd like to let the team know you're coming, call ahead on 1300 893 183. The team can guide you on whether to come in or suggest the most appropriate level of care.
- 3Your AVHS team can refer you
If your AVHS GP, nurse coordinator, or specialist identifies something that needs urgent investigation, they can refer you directly to SmartCare for same-day or next-day assessment. Your AVHS team will brief SmartCare so the clinical handover starts before you arrive.
Built around the Defence community.
Both AVHS and SmartCare UrgentCare are located in Springfield Central, one of Australia's fastest-growing communities and home to one of the country's largest veteran populations. The Greater Ipswich region is home to more than 14,000 ex-serving ADF members, and RAAF Base Amberley is just a short drive away.
AVHS was founded by veteran medical officers who served in the ADF. SmartCare's Emergency Specialists include doctors with direct Defence and military health backgrounds. When you walk in, you're not explaining your service from scratch.
What you need to know.
Veterans with a DVA Gold Card, or a DVA White Card for accepted conditions, may be eligible for DVA funded treatment. SmartCare UrgentCare is a private, Emergency Specialist Care service.
As part of their commitment to the Defence community, the SmartCare facility fee is currently waived for eligible DVA patients. Where eligibility criteria are met, consultations and approved services may be billed to DVA and Medicare, and on-site imaging and pathology are bulk billed. The SmartCare team will confirm eligibility and any applicable costs prior to treatment.
