RACGP calls for stronger links between urgent care and general practice
02 Oct 2026
The statement describes urgent care as an important part of general practice and says it falls within the scope of GP care. It also identifies areas where changes could help provide more consistent and connected services.
A key recommendation is the development of nationally consistent standards led by the medical profession. The RACGP says these standards should support safe, high-quality care and stronger links between urgent care services and patients’ usual healthcare providers.
The proposed standards would cover areas such as clinical governance, supervision, escalation and communication. They would also support the transfer of relevant patient information to a person’s usual GP or Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO).
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said the statement aims to help urgent care become part of a more connected primary care system.
The RACGP has been working with the Federal Government and other urgent care stakeholders on nationally consistent standards for urgent care clinics (UCCs).
The college says UCCs can improve access to care in some situations. However, it says their effectiveness also depends on how well they connect patients with their usual general practice.
Without these connections, patients may experience duplicated services, gaps in information and less coordinated care.
A recent evaluation found evidence that UCCs have reduced urgent care presentations to hospitals by up to 10%. However, only 65% of presentations included a handover to the patient’s usual GP or practice.
The RACGP says better communication between UCCs and general practices will be important for maintaining continuity of care.
The position statement also calls for more flexible funding arrangements across general practices, ACCHOs and dedicated UCCs.
It recommends changes to Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) funding for after-hours care. The RACGP also proposes changing the after-hours period to start at 5 pm on weekdays and include all of Saturday.
According to the RACGP, these changes could give more general practices the capacity to provide urgent care to their own patients.
The college is also looking at areas where more evidence is needed, including the cost-effectiveness of UCCs, long-term patient outcomes, health inequalities and continuity of care.
The RACGP says its aim is for urgent care to develop as an integrated part of Australia’s primary care system.
RACGP calls for stronger links between urgent care and general practice
Source: RACGP / newsGP