State Government to fight Federal Government for share in 29 urgent care clinics

A plan to expand urgent care clinics nationally has been described as ‘too little too late’ with those on the frontline saying Hobart’s clinic is at capacity, regularly turning people away.

Health Minister Guy Barnett.

The State Government said it would fight the Federal Government to ensure Tasmania gets its fair share of new urgent care clinics.

It comes as the Anthony Albanese announced Tuesday’s budget would include $227m to open 29 new urgent care clinics across Australia, which will be negotiated with state and territory governments.

Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing Minister Guy Barnett said the funding for additional clinics was grossly inadequate, and feared Tasmania could receive as little as one urgent care clinic.

“This is completely insufficient to meet the challenges of increasing demand on our healthcare system, noting Federal Labor’s underfunding of GPs,” he said.

“This has been driving more people to our hospital emergency departments and has repeatedly forced the state to step in and shore up GP availability as practices come under threat of closure.

“Based on the analysis that we’ve done, it delivers just one urgent care clinic when we’ve been lobbying the federal government for five in Tasmania, and it’s very concerning to me, because we have growing health care needs.”

Numerous GP clinics have closed over the last few months, including the After Hours Doctor in Derwent Park and Eastern Shore Doctors Lauderdale.

AMA State President Dr John Saul. Picture: Chris Kidd

“We have already written to the Federal Labor Government seeking centres in growing regional areas like Sorell, Kingston, Bridgewater, as well as in Burnie and Launceston – to get more Urgent Care Centres, as Tasmanians deserve,” Mr Barnett said.

Australian Medical Association Tasmanian president and GP Dr John Saul said the federal government’s model had not catered to demand.

“What we are seeing is far more demand for services than what is actually being provided,” he said.

“We’re seeing a lot of people in Hobart, for example, where there’s capacity for 80 urgent care patients a day, people are being turned away regularly from those clinics, because they haven’t got capacity to see more.

“It’ll be too little and too late in reality, and it’s the wrong model with money that could be spent better elsewhere.

“It just feels like they’re chasing headlines, and not delivering reality of what’s needed.”

Originally published as State Government to fight Federal Government for share in 29 urgent care clinics