Urgent care clinics spend $236 to avoid one ED visit — the AMA tells auditors to look at the GP alternative
An audit of the program's rollout began in March.
An independent evaluation of the Federal Government’s $3.2 billion urgent care clinics needs to measure their value against the urgent care being provided by after-hours and regular GP practices, the AMA says.
The Australian National Audit Office began looking at the rollout of the program back in March.
Various evaluations have implied that urgent care clinics (UCCs) are value for money, with presentations that result in an avoided ED visit costing around $236 — significantly less than the estimated $617 for equivalent ED care.
But the AMA has told the audit office that such comparisons are “incomplete”, with a more “robust assessment” needing to include GP after-hours care.
