Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Gallagher. Can the minister provide an update on how the Albanese government is delivering on its commitment to introduce Medicare urgent care clinics across Australia? How are these clinics helping Australians access affordable health care when they need it? And how are they helping to alleviate pressure on hospital emergency departments?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is so great to get a question about the health system from you, Senator Polley. I appreciate it and all the work that you do, particularly on the community affairs committee and others—we have spent a lot of time together in recent years—and for your interest in health, the Tasmanian health system in particular.

At the last election we promised to establish Medicare urgent care clinics and we are delivering on that promise. The first of 58 Medicare urgent care clinics across Australia are opening their doors and already helping Australians get timely and affordable access to the health care they need. We have committed funding over five years to establish these Medicare urgent care clinics. It is a new approach to providing care for people who require medical treatment urgently but do not need an ambulance or hospital stay. The urgent care clinics provide another option for people to seek the medical care that they need. They are open extended hours, seven days a week, and many of these clinics are being established in existing general practice and community health centres to make best use of existing facilities and leveraging the existing workforce. All of the services provided by Medicare urgent care clinics are bulk-billed.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A complete failure in Geelong.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can hear Senator Henderson. She does not like urgent care clinics, does not like people being able to access health care. I know I should not respond to interjections but Senator Henderson is such a serial offender. These are highly popular models of care. Highly trained doctors and nurses provide care at the Medicare urgent care clinics with no need for an appointment—again, very convenient for busy families on the go. Urgent care clinics deliver service from the time people walk in right through to addressing the health issues so they can leave without putting pressure on the emergency departments. Last week in Tasmania, the Prime Minister officially open the Medicare urgent care clinic at Your Hobart Doctor on Bathurst Street. In its first two weeks, Senator Polley, it has seen 400 patients.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Polly, a first supplementary?

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister outline how local health needs are being incorporated into the planning and delivery of the new model of care? How are the Medicare urgent care clinics being integrated with existing health and hospital services, including general practice and hospital emergency departments?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Polley. It's really important that the Medicare urgent care clinics are integrated with services provided by both GPs and hospital emergency departments. By working closely with states and territories, we are ensuring that the services provided by these clinics are responsive to the needs of local communities, and we're working with GPs and PHNs to ensure the urgent care clinics are set up to deliver the end-to-end care that they need from these clinics. By working to ensure the quality of services provided by urgent care clinics, we will help ease the pressure on hospital emergency departments, and we know that we need to relieve this pressure—it's what the states and territories are telling us, and it's what anyone who has tried to use an emergency department will know. In New South Wales, for instance, it's estimated that almost half of emergency presentations to New South Wales hospital EDs are for semi-urgent or non-urgent conditions that are better off treated in these urgent care clinics. We look forward to seeing them develop in the next few months.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Polley, your second supplementary?

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How do the Medicare urgent care clinics complement other actions that the Albanese government is taking to strengthen Medicare and improve Australia's primary healthcare system? Why are these actions vital to ensuring Australians continue to have access to affordable, high-quality health services?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Senator Polley, again for your interest in health care, because we know those opposite weren't interested when they were in government, and they're certainly not interested now. The government is determined to strengthen Australia's health system after a decade of neglect, and this government has been pursuing priorities through National Cabinet by working with states and territories. Remember that the former government never really were able to work with states and territories but liked to pick fights with them? We're working with states and territories to make sure that these urgent care clinics can be delivered in a seamless way, that they're integrated, that they support general practice, that they work with the hospital system and, most importantly, that people who need to access health care out of hours—on the weekend, when their kids get sick or break their arm and there aren't any other options available—can do so. This government is backing you by funding urgent care clinics to make sure that they are available to meet your health needs.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As that's the last question for the week, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.