Rural Urgent Care

Many rural and regional communities experience difficulties accessing timely primary care, particularly when urgent but non-life-threatening health concerns arise. In communities located more than 30 minutes from a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, access to alternative urgent care options may be limited, increasing reliance on hospitals and emergency departments. Rural Urgent Care addresses this gap by improving access to same-day primary care through a network of general practices and referral partners, strengthening local care pathways and supporting care in the right place at the right time.

Rural Urgent Care uses a commissioned network model that connects patients to participating general practices through local and digital access pathways. Patients may access the service through community pharmacy, Healthdirect, NSW Ambulance, virtual care providers and other authorised referral partners. Participating practices maintain reserved same-day appointments that are accessible through integrated booking platforms, supporting timely assessment and treatment in primary care settings.

Rural Urgent Care evolved from Healthy North Coast’s Primary Care Access (PCA) initiative and the North Coast Health Connect service. The original model was developed through extensive co-design with general practice, community pharmacy, consumers and health system partners, supported by an independent evaluation framework that informed ongoing program refinement.

The program was designed to strengthen primary care capacity through technology-enabled access pathways, improve navigation to the most appropriate care, reduce barriers to accessing care, and support people to receive the right care at the right time. Community pharmacy, general practice and other first points of contact were intentionally incorporated into the model to improve wayfinding and reduce friction between services.

The design approach recognised the importance of local evidence, local ownership and flexibility, with continuous improvement driven by utilisation data, stakeholder feedback and operational learnings. Particular emphasis was placed on addressing health inequities through locally informed solutions and partnerships that support priority populations, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage.

The program continues to be refined in collaboration with general practices, community pharmacies, Healthdirect, NSW Ambulance, virtual care providers and other healthcare partners as the Rural Urgent Care network evolves.

Commissioning and management of a network of participating general practices providing same-day urgent primary care appointments.

Integration of referral pathways through community pharmacy, Healthdirect, NSW Ambulance and virtual care providers.

Provision and management of integrated booking platforms, including HotDoc and HealthEngine.

Community pharmacy engagement, workforce training and referral pathway support.

Monitoring, utilisation optimisation and continuous quality improvement activities.

Performance management, evaluation and reporting.

Improve access to timely same-day primary care in rural and regional communities.

Support patients to receive care in the right place at the right time.

Reduce avoidable emergency department presentations and demand on hospital services.

Strengthen integration between primary care, community pharmacy, virtual care and emergency services.

Improve continuity of care and patient navigation.

Establish a sustainable and scalable urgent care network for communities where Medicare Urgent Care Clinics may not be viable.