RACGP to develop national standards for urgent care clinics
06 May 2026
This comes after the Federal Government confirmed that Medicare-funded urgent care clinics (UCCs) will become a permanent part of the health system.
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said the college has concerns about how the model is affecting general practice, but believes it is important to set clear standards so care is safe, consistent, and well connected.
He said urgent care clinics must work better with patients’ usual GP clinics, especially when it comes to sharing information and handing care back after treatment.
Dr Wright also said GPs are already trained to provide urgent care and should play a central role in these services as part of wider healthcare teams.
The RACGP has developed standards for general practices for more than 30 years, and says it is well placed to extend this work to urgent care clinics.
The aim is to make sure UCCs reduce pressure on hospital emergency departments while still keeping care connected to patients’ regular doctors.
Dr Wright also said funding should be flexible, particularly for rural and remote areas, to ensure fair access to urgent care services.
The expansion of UCCs began in 2023 and has now grown to 135 clinics across Australia, with more opening soon. However, there is currently no single national standard guiding how they operate.
Early reviews of the program show mixed results. While some pressure on emergency departments has eased, concerns have been raised about cost and continuity of care.
One review found only about 65% of patients seen in UCCs were referred back to their regular GP afterwards.
The new national standard will be developed with input from GPs, governments, clinic operators and patients, with further consultation still to come.
https://www1.racgp.org.au/
Source: newsGP (RACGP)