Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) | Hansard source

I thank Senator O'Neill for the supplementary. We are very keen to ensure the Medicare Urgent Care Clinics meet the health needs of local communities, and so we aren't imposing a one-size-fits-all approach, and it is importantly that we work cooperatively—I know it's a foreign concept to those over there—with state and territory governments, primary healthcare networks and health professionals on the ground to ensure that these clinics are jointly designed, implemented and integrated with the local hospital and health system. We're jointly developing operational guidance with state and territory governments that outline the type of care the Medicare clinics can provide and what MBS scheme items they can bill for. This work is critical to ensure integration with other health services, including GPs and hospital emergency departments. We know the value of working in partnership with state and territory governments, unlike those opposite.