Walk-in Centres are now an accepted part of the ACT health landscape. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
An independent review of the ACT nurse-led Walk-in Centre model is underway, with the ACT Government seeking a consultant to do the work.
The tender comes seven months after the Legislative Assembly passed a motion from Canberra Liberals leader Mark Parton calling for a comprehensive evaluation of the service.
The Opposition and the Australian Medical Association have previously criticised the model as an inefficient and expensive way to provide primary health care and divert patients from struggling emergency departments.
The Opposition has now accepted the role of Walk-in Centres but remains concerned about whether it is delivering value for money.
“The review’s not about shutting centres down, it’s just about ensuring that they deliver the best outcomes for patients and the data that we were receiving up until this point was not really sufficient to make that assessment,” Mr Parton told ABC radio on Tuesday.
There are now five centres operating across Canberra – in Belconnen, Dickson, Weston Creek, Tuggeranong and Gungahlin. They’re open seven days a week from 7:30 am to 10 pm.
An independent evaluation of the Walk-in Centre model has not been done since 2011, a year after the first centre opened.
The tender document says the review must consider the role of WiCs within the broader urgent and primary care landscape, including how it relates to general practice, after-hours services, community health services and the Woden Medicare Urgent Care Clinic.
It stresses that the government wants an objective assessment and has no predetermined outcome.
The review will look at the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the WiC model; clinical outcomes, patient safety and experience; value for money; workforce sustainability and service capability; and its integration and impact within the broader ACT health system.
The review will cover the safety, quality and appropriateness of clinical care and how serious and urgent cases are managed.
It will include operating hours, presentation rates, patient outcomes and the number of cases that would have otherwise gone to EDs.
When assessing cost-effectiveness, the review must compare cost per episode of care with ED presentations, after-hours general practice, and Medicare Urgent Care Clinics.
It will look at whether WiCs are taking pressure off EDs and recommend ways to make the service more efficient.
The review will examine the WiCs’ relationship with general practice, including service overlap, impacts on continuity of care for patients and the number of GP patients, referrals and ways to strengthen communication and coordination of care between providers.
It will assess the potential benefits, risks, costs and feasibility of expanding the scope of services delivered through WiCs.
The consultant will consult widely with stakeholders – including GPs, nurses, professional bodies, agencies and service providers – and the community.
The tender says the consultant must deliver interim findings by 2 February 2027 and a final report by 28 June, 2027.
