Australia: AMA calls for audit of Medicare Urgent Care Clinics

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has submitted a call to the Australian National Audit Office for a value-for-money assessment of Medicare Urgent Care Clinics (UCCs). While UCCs may divert some urgent care presentations from hospital emergency departments, the AMA notes that current evidence does not yet prove a reduction in broader emergency department pressure, waiting times, or hospital bed block.

The AMA recommends that the audit examine whether funding decisions were transparent and needs-based, and suggests comparing UCCs against urgent and after-hours care provided by existing community general practices. The association also called for a national performance framework to measure patient outcomes, workforce impacts, and the full public cost of the program.

Separately, Freedom of Information documents have revealed correspondence between the office of Health Minister Mark Butler and ForHealth, one of Australia’s largest general practice operators. The documents show a senior advisor to the minister requested assistance from ForHealth on how to ‘combat’ arguments challenging the impact of UCCs on hospital emergency departments. This exchange occurred amidst discussions regarding data analysis of emergency department trends and the effectiveness of UCCs in light of shifting national presentation categories.