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The Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler announced the UCC ' s on October 18 . Picture : NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman
“ Canberra families are under pressure with the rising cost of living , and it will be a relief for them to know that treatment at these centres will continue to be free
Pressure valve
Discord over merging of urgent care and walk-in clinics in ACT to free up emergency departments
By Erin Morley
Existing Canberra walk-in health clinics will be able to treat a wider range of conditions through merging with new Medicare Urgent Care Clinics ( Medicare UCCs ). The scheme will be joint funded by the ACT government and will attract an extra $ 7.1m in federal government funding over three years to the sites from early 2024 .
“ We know that Canberrans have embraced the nurse-led Walk-in Centres across the ACT , and that ’ s helping take pressure off our two emergency departments ,” said senator for the ACT Katy Gallagher .
“ Canberra families are under pressure with the rising cost of living , and it will be a relief for them to know that treatment at these centres will continue to be free .”
The five locations at Gungahlin , Belconnen , Dickson , Weston and Tuggeranong will receive new equipment , three more nurse practitioners ( NPs ) and three advanced practice nurses ( APNs ) each . The Weston clinic will see a new physiotherapist and radiographer .
In a statement , the federal government said half of the patients that visit Canberra and North Canberra hospitals have ‘ semi ’ or ‘ non-urgent ’ injuries , clogging up a system that is supposed to be fast and accessible for those with life-threatening emergencies .
The clinics , open from 7.30am to 10pm 365 days a year , are meant to further take pressure off the ACT ’ s emergency health departments , which have been overwhelmed as have all emergency departments across the country .
The Australian Medical Association ’ s ( AMA ) latest data says in 2020-21 , 13.7 per cent of ACT patients were transferred from ambulances to emergency departments within 20 minutes , and 62.3 per cent were transferred within 40 minutes .
This is a 1.5 per cent and 3.1 per cent deterioration respectively from 2018- 19 , and significantly under the target of 50 per cent transferred within 20 minutes , and 90 per cent within 40 minutes .
However , AMA president Professor Steve Robson said the clinics do not align with federal government policy , and ignore the wants of GPs in the ACT .
“ What we have is an ACT Government driven by rebranding of existing centres led by nurse practitioners , which doesn ’ t align with the federal government ’ s own policy of these centres being led by GPs working collaboratively with other health professionals ,” Professor Robson said .
“ This clearly reflects the ACT Government ’ s ideological need to market its nurse practitioner led network of clinics despite the only available evaluation of these showing they are expensive and do not alleviate pressure on emergency departments .”
The chief minister for the ACT Andrew Barr said the new services will bring together assessment , imaging and treatment for minor injuries under one roof , taking the pressure off hospitals .
“ We will continue to work closely with community-based health services , including general practitioners , to ensure we are delivering an integrated health system where Canberrans can access the right care in the right place and at the right time ,” he said .
The Department of Health and Aged Care ’ s Operational Guidance for Urgent Care Clinics says “ UCCs will be GP led , with staffing mix based on availability , local need and context ”, which wasn ’ t reflected in the UCC upgrade announcement .
It also stresses the clinics should not replace long-term care relationships with general practitioners ; they must refer patients to their GP for follow-up appointments and personal consultations .
ACT AMA president elect Dr Kerrie Aust said the disregard for the guidelines undermines trust and potentially makes future primary care reform discussions more difficult .
“ The ACT Government decision to impose this model is extraordinarily disappointing , with thoughtful input from ACT AMA ignored and local GPs written out the model ,” she said .
The AMA suggests additional funding towards CALMS , an after-hours medical service , or placing additional nurses in practices already operating for extended hours to relieve emergency departments . ■
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