An evaluation report of Medicare Urgent Care Clinics (UCCs) provides promising evidence that the clinics achieve their desired objective of providing care for illnesses and injuries that are urgent, but not life-threatening, and reduce expensive visits to hospital emergency departments.
ACN CEO, Adjunct Professor Kathryn Zeitz FACN, said the evaluation report, by the Department of Health and Aged Care, shows that that nurses are making a significant contribution to the impact of UCCs in improving patient access to quality health care when they need it.
“Patients are clearly benefiting from the UCC program,” Adjunct Professor Zeitz said.
“The evaluation supports what nurses already know: collaborative, community-based, multidisciplinary care models can effectively reduce pressure on our overstretched hospital system while improving patient access to timely treatment.
“Medicare UCCs employ an average of four full-time equivalent nursing staff per clinic.
“Nursing staff are integral to the efficient operation of these clinics, yet the report focuses predominantly on challenges related to GP recruitment.
“While we acknowledge the difficulties in recruiting GPs, particularly in regional areas, we must recognise that nurses are the backbone of these clinics.
“The report identifies opportunities for more flexible workforce models, including interdisciplinary care, which we strongly support.
“But where there are difficulties recruiting GPs for UCCs, we would urge consideration be given to recruiting from our highly skilled and experienced nursing workforce.
“The ACT’s nurse-led Walk-In Centres are a perfect example.
“Advanced practice nurses and nurse practitioners can play an expanded role in urgent care settings, helping to address workforce shortages while maintaining high-quality care.
“We will call on the next government to further invest in nursing workforce development as this program expands and, more broadly, commit to implementing blended funding models that support nurses to their full scope of practice.”
The interim report warns there is significant uncertainty around its evaluation of the costing of the service. However, it estimates UCCs are saving $368 per presentation in reduced ED visits.
“As we await the next phases of evaluation, ACN will continue to support the Department of Health and Aged Care and other stakeholders to strengthen this important program and ensure nurses' expertise is fully utilised in addressing Australia's urgent care needs."
Key findings from the report include:
- the clinics have prevented 334,000 emergency department presentations a year;
- average wait times were 14.5 minutes long (compared to between 24-31 minutes for comparable ED wait times); and
- the vast majority of patients are presenting to the clinics with conditions that can be appropriately managed there.
Background:
The report evaluates all 75 clinics operating in the first 15 months of the program against nine ‘measures of success’ (timely treatment; safe and quality treatment; coordinated care; patient and carer experience; experience for providers at Medicare UCCs, partner hospital EDs and local GP practices; ED presentations at partner hospitals; consumer behaviour; coordinated care within the health ecosystem; cost effectiveness). Two further reports will be issued: at the end of 2025 and in 2026.
The evaluation report is at https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-03/medicare-urgent-care-clinics-program-evaluation-first-interim-report_0.pdf
Contact details:
Lexi Metherell, 0449 803 524
Email: [email protected]