Healthcare in Sydney
- Purchase the complete Expat Arrivals Sydney Guide (PDF)
The public healthcare system in Sydney, like the healthcare system in greater Australia, is funded through Medicare, a service available to citizens and permanent visa holders in Australia and New Zealand. This covers or largely subsidises treatment by general practitioners and hospitals.
Temporary residents living in Sydney will not be eligible to utilise Medicare and will have to take out their own private health insurance coverage. In the same vein, even permanent resident expats may prefer to have private health insurance to cover the cost of private medical treatment. Eligible expats should check carefully what is covered through the Medicare benefits to see if they would benefit from additional private insurance.
Pharmacies, known as chemists in Australia, are easy to find in Sydney and can be spotted in all major shopping streets and malls. Many are open until 10pm or even midnight, and there are one or two 24-hour pharmacies.
Recommended hospitals in Sydney
Balmain Hospital
www.slhd.nsw.gov.au/balmain
Address: 29 Booth Street, Balmain
Macquarie University Hospital
www.muh.org.au
Address: 3 Technology Place, Macquarie University
Mater Hospital
www.mns.org.au
Address: 25 Rocklands Road, North Sydney
Sydney Children's Hospital
www.schn.health.nsw.gov.au/hospitals/sch
Address: High Street, Randwick
War Memorial Hospital
www.wmhw.org.au
Address: 125 Birrell Street, Waverley
