Question On Notice No. 2417 asked in the Legislative Council on 20 August 2019 by Hon Martin Aldridge
Question Directed to the: Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for Health
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Tabled Paper No: 3109-
View tabled paper
Question
I refer to the Minister’s media statement of 19 August
2019 entitled "Health care options to be expanded through GP Urgent Care
Clinics", and I ask:
(a) what is the total cost of the 18 month pilot;
(b) how much of the cost identified in (a) was not
budgeted for in the 2019-20 State Budget;
(c) what are the locations of the 133 GP practices that
will participate in the pilot;
(d) what is the cost of the advertising program;
(e) will radiology and pathology services be available
within each urgent care clinic or alternatively available in close proximity;
(f) what is the cost of the University of Western
Australia and Curtin University review of the pilot;
(g) how will participating GP practices be funded for
services delivered during the pilot;
(h) what will be the required operating hours for
practices to be funded as an urgent care clinic;
(i) will urgent care clinic’s be available in Geraldton,
Pilbara, Albany, Bunbury, Kimberley and Kalgoorlie from 10 September 2019, if
not, why not; and
(j) will the Minister please table the business case for the urgent care
clinic pilot?
Answered on 24 September 2019
(a) Total costs are anticipated to be $2 million.
(b) The total commitment of $2 million was budgeted for in the 2019-20 State Budget.
(c) The GP Urgent Care pilot includes member practices covering nearly 70 postcodes. The practices will be in the Perth metropolitan area and Bunbury regional area. Attached is a list of practices effective at the pilot launch on 10 September. See tabled paper no #.
(d) Please refer to (a).
(e) Yes.
(f) No additional cost. Costs are within currently funded work programs.
(g) The GP Urgent Care initiative is a model based on utilising current capacity within the GP sector and will be funded via their usual billing practice.
(h) The main hours for GP Urgent Care is 8:00am to 8:00pm with the overall GP Urgent Care network including practices potentially operating across a 7-day spectrum. Individual practice times will vary and the current availability will be shown on the website.
(i) The GP Urgent Care election commitment is a state-wide initiative. Initially the Perth metropolitan area and Bunbury region will be piloted, with an ongoing evaluation being undertaken as part of the initiative. During this time, additional regional-specific models will be developed and implemented.
(j) The Urgent Care Clinic (UCC) project is a McGowan Government election commitment. Details relating to the project can be found in the Putting Patients First policy statement. A significant amount of work and consultation has been undertaken to establish the UCC pilot. This has not been condensed into a stand-alone business case.