RACGP: Strong, profession-led standards required to deliver consistent, high-quality Urgent Care Clinics

The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) will develop profession-led Standards for nationally consistent, Urgent Care Clinics (UCCs) to ensure all Australians can access safe, high quality urgent care, no matter where they live. 

RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said the Federal Government’s weekend announcement that Medicare UCCs would be made permanent, alongside established privately operated and state funded UCCs, makes clear the need for a unified, trusted framework that defines their role and strengthens integration across the healthcare system. 

“Developing profession led Standards for Urgent Care Clinics will build patient trust and ensure consistency of care,” he said. 

“The RACGP has been setting standards in general practice for more than 30 years. We are well placed to lead this work, ensuring UCCs complement patients’ usual care, reduce pressure on emergency departments, and deliver safe, accessible services for communities across Australia.” 

The RACGP President said well-designed Standards must reinforce the importance of continuous, coordinated care, particularly handover processes between UCCs and a patient’s regular GP, to prevent fragmentation of care. 

“Urgent care must be well connected to general practice,” he said. “Patients deserve a seamless experience, where urgent issues are managed effectively and their ongoing care is not compromised.” 

The RACGP also emphasised that equitable access to urgent care depends on flexible funding arrangements, especially for rural and remote communities without access to a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic. 

“GPs are highly trained to deliver urgent care, and their role within multidisciplinary teams will be central to the sustainability and success of the urgent care system,” Dr Wright said.  

“But we need funding models that support this care wherever Australians need it.” 

Dr Wright confirmed that consultation and engagement with key stakeholders, including clinicians, governments, operators, and consumers, will occur before any draft Standards are released. 

“We have important consultation and engagement work to do with external stakeholders first,” he said. “This is a significant piece of work, and we want to get it right.”