Waking up with conjunctivitis-type symptoms sparked some unpleasant thoughts in Tim Blair's mind.
Besides coping with the gunk in his eyes, the Downer father would face the inconvenience of making arrangements to see a doctor as soon as possible.

''Normally I would have to ring the GP's surgery and beg for an appointment and then wait several hours, after which I would be charged $80 and then have to muck around to get some of the money back from Medicare,'' he said.

Mr Blair decided to try out the new nurse-led walk-in centre on the Canberra Hospital campus.

To his surprise, he was examined by a nurse within 10 minutes and sent on his way with medication.

''She did much more thorough checks than I've had before,'' Mr Blair said.

Best of all, the service was free.

The clinic, which opened in May and is run by nurse practitioners and advance practice nurses, received its 10,000th patient last week.

It offers advice and treatment for a range of minor illnesses and injuries, such as cuts and bruises, minor infections, strains, sprains, skin complaints, coughs and colds.

Nurses are able to dispense some medications but are not allowed to issue prescriptions or deal with workers' compensation-related matters.

Health Minister Katy Gallagher said an evaluation of the clinic would be completed after it had been in operation for 12 months. If the project is judged a success, more of the centres may be opened.

The clinic is open every day. Staff are not permitted to see children aged under two years.

For more on this story, including Ms Gallagher's comments on other jurisdictions' interest in the experiment, see the print edition of today's Canberra Times.