RACGP calls for national urgent care standards to address substandard clinical handover
The RACGP cites the government's own interim evaluations, which found only 65-68% of presentations had a direct handover.
New national standards are needed for urgent care clinics, the RACGP has warned, amid concerns that around a third of presentations do not result in a direct handover to the patient’s usual GP.
The demand comes in the college’s latest position statement on urgent care clinics, with Medicare urgent care clinics (UCCs) now numbering more than 130 across Australia.
There have been long-running concerns about best-practice handover for some time.
In 2024 the GP groups said that clinical handovers were inconsistent in quality — if provided at all — raising the risk of duplicated care and preventable hospitalisation.
