Labor unveils next step in healthcare overhaul

Labor has announced a $644 million bid to open 50 more urgent care clinics, building on Anthony Albanese’s centrepiece $8.5 billion election promise to boost bulk-billing GPs.

Saturday’s announcement will increase the number of urgent care clinics in the country from 87 to 137, with builds planned in every state and territory.

The clinics are slated to open by July 1, 2026 and once delivered will ensure four out of five Australians live within a 20-minute drive from a clinic, according to Department of Health and Aged Care analysis.

NSW will gain 14 new clinics, while Victoria and Queensland will get 12 and 10 respectively.

Western Australia is set to receive six clinics, with Tasmania and South Australia both getting three.

The two territories – NT and the ACT – will both get one new clinic each.

The Prime Minister said the latest announcement was on top of Labor’s “largest investment in Medicare in over 40 years”.

“This announcement of 50 additional Urgent Care Clinics if we are re-elected will provide the urgent care people need – and all you will need is your Medicare card, not your credit card,” he said.

“Whether your family needs urgent or ongoing health care, under Labor, Medicare will be there for all Australians, in every community.”

Health Minister Mark Butler said only a re-elected Labor government would ensure urgent care clinics remained open.

“The Liberals had nine years to open Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, and they never opened a single one. Now they call Labor’s clinics ‘wasteful spending’ and want to close every single one of them,” he said.

“Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are an Albanese government initiative because we believe in Medicare and in free urgent care, fully bulk billed.”

While the Coalition has promised to match Labor’s $8.5 billion Medicare promise, which would deliver an additional 18 million bulk billed GP visits each year, plus 400 nursing scholarships, and more funding to train GPs, Peter Dutton has also thrown in an additional $500 million for mental health support.

The Opposition has also vowed to double the number of psychologist sessions Australians can claim under a mental health treatment plan from 10 to 20.

“The Coalition recognises the urgent need for better access to bulk billed services in the middle of Labor’s healthcare crisis,” Mr Dutton said.

“That is why a Dutton Coalition Government will match the $8.5 billion investment into Medicare dollar-for-dollar to fix Labor’s mess and restore bulk billing back up to Coalition levels.”

The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has once again responded with criticism for the urgent care clinic system, questioning whether the current workforce will be sufficient to sustain such a venture.

“We are now seeing more than $1 billion will be spent on setting up these clinics, and we still have no sign of an evaluation to show whether they are providing value for money, or helping people keep away from hospital,” RACGP president Dr Michael Wright said.

“The best solution to increase access to urgent care and ease pressure on our hospitals is funding existing general practices to expand their current services, including for more after-hours services. This will result in better health outcomes, as people will be able to access urgent care from their usual practice, which has their medical history, and supports their continuity of care. 

“The urgent care clinic model that has been rolled out in Australia hasn’t been properly evaluated, and there have been concerning reports about costs being at least four times higher than GP services. Without an evaluation of the urgent care clinic model, there is no evidence that it is a solution. We do not support ongoing investment without the evidence that it works. 

“Spending millions setting up new clinics is not value for taxpayers’ money.  There are reports that each visit to an urgent care clinic costs approximately $200 per head. This is cheaper than a visit to a hospital emergency department, but it’s far more expensive than if the patient is treated by a GP, which for a standard consult costs a little over $42.”