‘Not the solution’: RACGP signs joint statement against UCCs

The National Council of Primary Care Doctors has taken a strong stance against the establishment of urgent care centres (UCCs) by state, territory and federal governments across Australia.
 
In a statement, co-signed by the RACGP, the Council said the push towards UCCs is ‘not the solution’ and is instead advocating for increased access to general practice, including after-hours periods.
 
It states UCCs are ‘often nothing more than an exercise in rebranding of existing services and have been identified by the mid-term review of the National Health Reform Agreement as a model that needs to be addressed’.
 
‘The UCC model is inconsistent with the delivery of comprehensive and integrated primary care models, and reports indicate that clinical handovers from UCCs back to a patient’s regular GP practice are of inconsistent quality, if provided at all,’ it reads.
 
RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins told newsGP the joint statement sends a strong message that the nation’s peak primary care bodies are in agreement about UCCs.
 
‘These UCCs cost taxpayers more, they dilute our workforce and for rural and regional Australians, this further increases the inequity as they don't have access to them,’ she said.
 
‘I understand that for governments, especially coming into elections, they like being able to have shiny new things and to cut ribbons.
 
‘But funding gets results and if they put this money back into general practice we will deliver.’
 
There are now 58 UCCs open across Australia, all of which provide bulk-billed healthcare and were designed to take pressure off the nation’s overflowing emergency departments (EDs).
 
In May this year, the Federal Government announced $227 million to create 29 additional UCCs – something that Dr Higgins said was highlighting the ‘wrong priorities’.
 
The RACGP has long raised concerns about the centres, saying they will fragment care, and only ‘help a handful of people in privileged areas’.
 
While the Council acknowledged that UCCs are being developed to manage growing numbers of hospital ED presentations, it said all governments need to work together to deliver additional investment into primary care.
 
‘The Council has significant concerns that UCCs are creating competition for an already stretched workforce supply of general practitioners and primary care registered nurses,’ the joint statement said.
 
‘With continued expansion it will also limit the ability of general practices to train the future medical workforce in the clinical skills often required for urgent care-type presentations, creating permanent fragmentation of care in the system.
 
‘The solution needs to address fundamental structural issues as opposed to the pursuit of short-term options that contribute to longer term issues in the system.’
 
In its proposed solutions, the Council urges for investment into general practice and rural generalist training, as well as reforms in funding for after-hours periods.
 
‘Appropriately invest in facilitating increased access for Australians to their own GP/general practice, particularly from 6.00 – 9.00 pm, when the majority of after-hours GP-type presentations occur,’ it states.
 
‘Reform the funding model for primary care to facilitate general practice-based multidisciplinary care that is integrated, comprehensive and coordinated.’
 
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