NSW Medicare urgent care clinics blamed for GP shortfall

The soaring daily pay packets offered at Medicare urgent-care clinics are sucking GPs into the centres and away from smaller practices, peak medical groups say.

Peak medical groups have hit out at the federal government’s Medicare urgent-care clinics, amid fears soaring daily pay packets — up to $3000 in some cases — are sucking GPs into the centres and away from other smaller practices.

The Australian Medical Association’s NSW branch (AMA NSW) and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) have both hit out at the current model for the 58 walk-in clinics across Australia, saying they were competing for a dwindling supply of GPs.

RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins said the body “has previously warned the federal government that urgent care clinics are the wrong priority for addressing Australia’s health care needs and a misguided investment”.

“Urgent care clinics create confusion for the public, and disrupt the care people usually receive from their regular GP,” she said.

“The RACGP is also concerned they are likely to redirect limited general practice workforce capacity away from regular clinics where they are needed most.”

RACGP president Dr Nicole Higgins.

Australian Medical Association NSW president Dr Kathryn Austin.

The Telegraph understands pay of up to $3000 a day is on offer at some clinics, a figure confirmed by health sources, but this is not a blanket rate.

AMA NSW President Dr Kathryn Austin said the association supported urgent care services when they don’t compete with general practices.

“AMA NSW is concerned by the Commonwealth’s urgent care centre model which can at times compete for general practice workforce and may impact on the viability of general practice,” she said.

“The Commonwealth government should be considering all options to increase support for general practice and should also be considering innovative models such allowing GPs to refer patients to hospital pathology, pharmacy and diagnostic services to provide improved out of hours access.”

NSW is facing a critical shortage of GPs.

It comes after The Daily Telegraph last week revealed the state was already facing a critical shortfall of GPs, with an unmet demand for an extra 460 doctors in NSW.

That figure is set to balloon to 1000 by 2028, growing again to 2,700 by 2048, according to a federal health report released last week.

At a Senate Estimates hearing earlier this year, officials from the Department of Health said the “interesting” nature of the job was a drawcard for GPs choosing to work in urgent care clinics, before adding wages were also a factor.

“The other anecdotal piece of feedback is that some general practitioners are attracted to the salaried model that the urgent care clinics provide as well,” first assistant secretary Mark Roddam said.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said there has been more than 600,000 fully bulked billed visits to urgent care clinics across the country, and that the facilities “don’t replace the role of a normal GP”.

“Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are making it easier for Australians to see a doctor for urgent care and are taking pressure off overwhelmed emergency departments,” he said.

“I absolutely value the work that our general practitioners do across the country.

“GPs tell me they like the variety of working in urgent care and many of them do it complimentary to their normal GP work.”

Originally published as NSW Medicare urgent care clinics blamed for GP shortfall