5 July 2024

Independent candidates call for review of nurse-led Walk-in Centres as major parties trade barbs

| Oliver Jacques
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Weston Creek Community Health Centre

After 13 years of operation, calls are growing for a review of Walk-in Centres. Photo: Claire Fenwicke.

Independent candidates running for the ACT election have called for a review of Canberra’s nurse-led medical Walk-in Centres, citing concerns about long queues and secrecy over how much the service costs.

The ACT has five Walk-in Centres – in Belconnen, Tuggeranong, Dickson, Weston and Gungahlin – which are doctor-free clinics run by nurses who provide no-charge health care for non-life threatening injuries and illnesses without the need to book an appointment.

In October 2023, the Chief Minister announced the federal government would provide an additional $7 million to expand services in these centres.

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The Canberra Liberals say documents they obtained through freedom of information requests revealed the ACT Government wanted to trial GPs working at the centres but backed away from this proposal.

Canberra Liberals deputy leader and health spokesperson Leanne Castley accused Labor of not respecting or prioritising GPs and not being upfront about the true cost of service, which she said was close to $200 per presentation.

ACT Australian Medical Association president Dr Kerrie Aust said this made it “a poor value for money proposition” compared to seeing your local GP.

“The AMA rates are around $100 a GP consult, the taxpayers pay approximately $43 … we see more patients, we see them more effectively, we have the value of the continuity of care,” she said.

“If we’re going to spend $200 of taxpayers’ money on walk-in clinics, why wouldn’t we put that money back into GP [services]”?

A spokesperson for the Health Minister affirmed the government’s commitment to Walk-in Centres, saying, “The Canberra Liberals have never supported this popular and successful model of care and have never committed to maintaining it if they are elected”.

Leanne Castley, MLA.

Canberra Liberals Deputy Leader Leanne Castley has accused Labor of not respecting GPs. Photo: Michelle Kroll.

Region asked the Canberra Liberals if they would integrate GPs into the Walk-in Centres or make any other reforms, but they declined to respond, saying they’d release their policy before the election.

Labor did not answer our question about how much the service costs per presentation.

Other candidates running for the ACT election called for more transparency.

“I hear mixed reviews of the nurse-led Walk-in Centres,” said David Pollard, who is running for the Independents for Canberra party for the seat of Yerrabi.

“Some people have used them often and with very positive experiences, while others have given up going to them at all. Personally, I’ve had good experiences, though I’ve also been turned away due to long queue times that are expected to run past closing time.

“The government has opened themselves up to requiring further scrutiny by publishing misleading statistics about the taxpayer cost per visit … the first step is to apply some independent scrutiny and accountability. This coalition [Labor-Greens] has fostered a culture of compliance, submission and even fear in the public service.”

His colleague Thomas Emerson, running for Kurrajong, said: “An independent review could take the politics out of the conversation and determine whether or not we’re making the best possible use of that funding.”

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Woden-based independent candidate for Murrumbidgee Fiona Carrick expressed a similar view.

“Walk-in Centres are popular with the electorate; however, after 13 years of operation, there should be a review of their performance,” she said.

ACT Greens spokesperson for health Emma Davidson said she supported the Walk-in Centres but reiterated her party’s call for more to be spent on bulk billing GPs.

“Walk-in Centres play an important role providing free, timely care when you need it and referring people to hospital or a GP for their health needs. However, they are only one part of our health system,” she said.

“The ACT Government also needs to support our GPs so people have better access to care for their health needs. GPs have a different set of skills to nurses, but are equally important to deliver quality health care in the community.

“That’s why the ACT Greens will deliver 160,000 more free doctor visits each year, in four government-owned centres – two northside and two southside.”

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I am all for nurse walk in centres and have made use of them for my family in the past. The nurses I have found can provide just as much care and knowledge as doctors and take the pressures off our only two hospitals. I do not mind my taxpayer dollars going into this 7-day a week network to treat non-life threatening, low-level complaints across the ACT’s five district centres. I also support a review to ascertain what improvements can be made for this important community service.

The Canberra Liberals, and their doctor mates who contribute so much to the party’s coffers, continue to undermine the benefits of the centres since they were established in 2010 because they are run by nurses. The centres provide a free and non-discriminatory health service to all walks of life, not just those who can afford it.

The Liberals’ constant denigration of the nurses and the centres is code for reducing funding and closing them down should they win this year’s territory election. Not to mention their other plans to cut education, transport and health funding to finance their conservative and miserly agenda!

You forgot to tell us who your response was written and authorised by again, Jack. I think you are well aware that is against the rules set out by the AEC.

It doesn’t take long for the Liberal party trolls and staffers to get all frothed up!

pink little birdie12:19 pm 08 Jul 24

I wonder how much of the additional cost is sending people home with a course of antibiotic for minor infections, UTI’s and ear infections.

wildturkeycanoe7:04 am 07 Jul 24

Shutting these down is only going to make ED waiting times much worse. Do you want to wait eight hours to get a few of stitches at hospital, or go to a walk-in-centre to only wait a couple?

ACT walk in centres are a waste of time, you may as well got to ED if it’s serious.

Que? Like you are supposed to do. They aren’t designed to be places you go if you have a serious complaint.

What a bizarre comment.

Rupert Samuel9:53 am 19 Jul 24

Couldn’t disagree more. I’ve used walk in centres for semi-serious things (like cuts needing stitches) outside business hours in the past. Got great service and didn’t have to clog an emergency department queue.

I’d like to see some bulk billed after hours GP’s go into them, frankly.

It is ridiculous that there is any secrecy here around costs. This is taxpayers money. Taxpayers have a right to know how it is spent. There is something very wrong when a state government continually refuses to tell us how much things cost, and even goes out of their way to hide it. This isn’t a matter of national security. They hide the cost because theg are mismanaging your tax dollars to an almost criminal degree.

If these walk in clinics are costing double what a GP does, something is very wrong. That doesn’t mean they need to close, it just means something needs to be fixed. You can’t do that when ACT Labor/greens are too busy hiding their incompetence to allow the cost to be examined.

GrumpyGrandpa6:59 pm 06 Jul 24

We have been 3-4 times, but on every ocassion found our needs to be outside their scope.

Leading up to Christmas I was due to receive a cancer treatment injection that my GP normally does.
Being on the eve of Christmas, he wasn’t available. I was told to shop around for an available GP.
I ended up going to the hospital, where the injection was done by a nurse!

I like the concept, however, with their limited scope, I don’t think we’ll be back unless we
need a bandaid.

As for the ACT Greens promising 160,000 free doctor visits through 4 government-owned centres, its pretty easy to promise something you know you won’t have to deliver.

pink little birdie12:04 pm 08 Jul 24

That seems to be a you issue… They are very specific about their scope and can’t do regular ongoing items like cancer injections.
They are fabulous for small issues – getting checked for a medical certificate for minor just rest illnesses, Small wounds that need to be cleaned, not sure if you need a doctor but should be checked – they will refer on if they can’t.
I’ve been referred on twice – once for a toddler head injury and once they sent me to a doctor taking walk ins for more serious antibiotics.

For anyone unclear on the costs per patient visit to the walk-in clinics, the government finally answered the Canberra Times’ FOI request a few weeks back and it was almost $200, or about double what it costs to see a GP. It should be noted the government originally told them the cost was around $110, but excluded a whole bunch of expenses in that calculation.

Unlike a GP where Medicare (all Australian taxpayers) covers a chunk of the cost, the ACT taxpayers fund the entire cost of the clinics. There’s also the ideological decision to make them nurse only, which restricts the treatment that can be offered and diverts a significant number of patients to emergency or their GPs. Unfortunately for transparency leading into an election, the government declined to give the newspaper the number or percentage of patients visiting the clinics who then had to go on to emergency anyway. The government flirting with the idea of putting some GPs into the clinics could have been an improvement, except their plan was a bizarre one to keep their presence hidden from the public. What’s clear is that this government is wedded to keeping the clinics as-is despite their high cost and limited range of care.

The running of them should be contracted out to a not for profit medical group that integrates GPs into them as well as the nurses so range of care can be expanded and some funding can be claimed from Medicare.

a complex issue: but one thing is clear – it has been a wonderful innovation to empower and exploit for the community the terrific resource represented by Australia’s widely experienced and mature and professional nurses!!

Daniel O'CONNELL3:03 pm 06 Jul 24

Agree, but why the increased cost per visit, when nurses earn far less than GP’s?

Keep these Walk-in Clinics at all costs. Give the nurses more authority. I attended over a long weekend when my (otherwise useless) GP was closed. In the 90 minutes I waited, numerous people received thorough and more caring treatment than at an emergency ward…where the wait was 3 + hours.

yes. Pity we don’t have journalism
post -google/facebook
that has the resources to tell the exciting story of these centres

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