RACGP questions further urgent care clinic investment

The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has warned new urgent care clinics won’t solve Australia’s patient care challenges, and once again raised concerns about how they will be properly staffed.  

It comes following the Albanese Government announcing an extra 50 bulk billing urgent care clinics by mid-2026 if it wins a second term at the upcoming federal election. The $644 million investment will see new clinics in every state and territory. 

RACGP President, Dr Michael Wright, cautioned the investment, questioning whether the clinics are the answer to improving patient care across Australia. 

“We are now seeing more than $1 billion will be spent on setting up these clinics, and we still have no sign of an evaluation to show whether they are providing value for money, or helping people keep away from hospital,” he said. 

“The best solution to increase access to urgent care and ease pressure on our hospitals is funding existing general practices to expand their current services, including for more after-hours services. This will result in better health outcomes, as people will be able to access urgent care from their usual practice, which has their medical history, and supports their continuity of care. 

“The urgent care clinic model that has been rolled out in Australia hasn’t been properly evaluated, and there have been concerning reports about costs being at least four times higher than GP services. Without an evaluation of the urgent care clinic model, there is no evidence that it is a solution. We do not support ongoing investment without the evidence that it works. 

“Spending millions setting up new clinics is not value for taxpayers’ money.  There are reports that each visit to an urgent care clinic costs approximately $200 per head. This is cheaper than a visit to a hospital emergency department, but it’s far more expensive than if the patient is treated by a GP, which for a standard consult costs a little over $42.” 

Dr Wright also once again questioned how the clinics would be staffed. 

“Workforce issues must be front of mind at all times,” he said. 

“We know that some urgent care clinics are closing due to an inability to find staff. So, given the workforce pressures that already exist, I struggle to see how more urgent care clinics across every state and territory are going to find available and willing staff. The RACGP remains concerned these new clinics will capture our limited general practice workforce away from regular GP clinics, where they are needed most. 

“The concept sounds great in theory, but these clinics can create confusion for the public, and, concerningly, can disrupt the care people usually receive from a regular GP who knows them. This means that care becomes fragmented, as the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing.”