Dr Kerrie Aust . |
Sarah Simpkins A MEDICARE urgent care clinic contract
worth $ 7.1 million has gone to five nurse-led walk-in centres with no plans to recruit any GPs .
The ACT Government – funded clinics , staffed by nurses and nurse practitioners , treat around 300 Canberrans a day for minor ailments like gastroenteritis , respiratory infections and simple fractures .
Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler has confirmed the Federal Government has chosen them as part
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of its $ 135 million plan to establish 58 urgent care clinics across Australia .
It follows an in-principle deal from earlier this year — except the original proposal suggested a single GP would start working part-time across the five clinics .
Australian Doctor understands that this pledge to recruit a GP has been scrapped .
Instead , the clinics will attempt to recruit a radiographer , sonographer , physiotherapist and three more nurse practitioners by 2024 .
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Mr Butler said the contract would also cover new ultrasound and imaging equipment at one nurse clinic at Weston Creek .
But GP Dr Kerrie Aust , president elect of AMA ACT , said GP practices had the staff , equipment and infrastructure for urgent care already .
“ GPs already do a huge amount of urgent care work ,” she said .
“ We do fracture management ; we suture up wounds ; we manage UTIs .
“ We have clinics that are co-located with radiology and pathology .
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“ We have the infrastructure and skills , but we don ’ t have the funding .
“ Now , the funding has been stripped out yet again .”
Dr Aust said politicians had ignored doctors ’ pleas to support local GP practices or run an open tender for the contract .
“ We asked them to discuss with us options for utilising existing GP infrastructure throughout the ACT to provide urgent care clinics ,” she said .
“ That has not been explored by the government .
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