‘Band-Aid fix’: New walk-in clinics won’t ease pressure on hospitals

The state’s peak medical body claims the government’s latest walk-in clinics “make no sense” and will do ­little to ease pressure on emergency departments.

The state’s peak medical body claims the government’s latest addition to the mishmash of confusing health care options makes no sense and will do ­little to ease pressure on emergency departments.

It comes after the government announced the first of four nurse-only walk-in health clinics would open within weeks in Brisbane city, another service in addition to Urgent Care clinics and satellite ­hospitals.

The Australian Medical Association Queensland has for months been campaigning for the government to issue a health services road map for Queenslanders who don’t know where they should go for treatment for anything from minor burns to broken limbs.

Dr Nick Yim. Pic: Josh Woning.

AMAQ president Nick Yim said the government was throwing health dollars at clinics without doctors, satellite hospitals without beds and Urgent Care clinics that shut in the evening. Patients wanting these services often still end up in emergency departments.

Dr Yim questioned the opening of the nurse-led clinic in the CBD this September, as the city is well serviced by dozens of GPs and hospitals while the regions are crying out for health support.

He said research from other states shows nurse-led clinics cost taxpayers $200 a visit while a GP appointment costs $40. The Queensland government has allocated $46m for the clinics as part of its Women’s and Girls’ Health Strategy, with the first to open in Adelaide St in September.

These clinics have proven to be inefficient in other jurisdictions and are not the best use of precious dollars, Dr Yim said.

“The AMAQ welcomes any investment in primary care but a nurse-only clinic in the Brisbane CBD does not make sense when so much of regional Queensland is struggling with access to health services,” Dr Yim said. “This funding would go so much further if it was used to employ nurses and allied health workers in GP clinics across the state and in recruiting, training and retaining our local workforce.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman.

“Clinics without doctors have been consistently shown to be more expensive, provide lower-quality care and fragment patient care compared to doctors’ practices.”

Dr Yim said that in the ACT, each visit to a nurse-led clinic costs taxpayers almost $200, compared to $40 for a GP visit – and that is without knowing how many of those patients were redirected to emergency departments, which came with its own expense to taxpayers.

“GPs keep people well and healthy and out of hospital. Band-Aid fixes like nurse-only clinics, satellite hospitals and pharmacy prescribing will only lead to more pressure on our hospital emergency departments,” he said.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said that nurse-led clinics in the ACT had been successful, with more than 115,000 presentations last year.

“Our nurse-led walk-in clinics provide extended hours of care for Queenslanders, 365 days a year. Our government recognises the valuable role of GPs and these clinics are not designed to be an alternative, rather another option for Queenslanders to access free care closer to home,” she said.

Originally published as ‘Band-Aid fix’: New walk-in clinics won’t ease pressure on hospitals