GP Access Calvary Mater after hours service to reopen, and services restored at Belmont, John Hunter and Maitland hospitals, and Toronto health centre

The "beloved" GP Access After Hours service has been restored at the Calvary Mater Hospital at Waratah, after being out of action for 15 months due to a lack of funding.

The Albanese government announced on Tuesday that it would provide $5.5 million a year for four years to fund the Hunter's after-hours GP services.

The money will be provided to the Hunter New England Central Coast Primary Health Network, a not-for-profit organisation set up and funded by the federal government.

It has commissioned Hunter Primary Care, a not-for-profit organisation of health professionals, to restore the after-hours service at the Calvary Mater by the end of May.

GP after hours clinics will also be restored at Belmont, John Hunter and Maitland hospitals, along with the Westlakes Community Health Centre at Toronto.

A lack of funding from the former Coalition government forced the GP access clinic at the Calvary Mater to close permanently in December 2021.

The other four clinics had to significantly reduce their hours.

The funding means people will find it easier to see a GP and nurse after hours, reducing pressure on emergency departments.

GP Access clinics offer face-to-face and telehealth services outside business hours. These services are bulk billed to anyone with a Medicare card.

Hunter Primary Care said a contract had been signed with the primary health network to run the service for two years.

The government, however, confirmed that the funding runs for four years.

Health Minister Mark Butler said the Albanese government had "moved quickly to restore and expand after hours health care".

"It means people of all ages, families and children can get top quality care from GPs and nurses outside of standard business hours," Mr Butler said.

Hunter Primary Care's chief operating officer Keith Drinkwater said the new contract was a "major win for the community".

"For now, we have a two-year contract which we are very pleased about," Mr Drinkwater said.

"It is our expectation that, when the time comes, it will be extended.

"We are so grateful to be guaranteed the necessary funding to continue providing this vital service."

Chair of the Hunter GP Association, Dr Fiona Van Leeuwen, said it was "terrific to get some government funding to enable the clinic to have some stability for a couple of years".

"It's so important for people to get good after hours care," she said.

"The after hours period is just as important for everyone's health as daytime."

Dr Van Leeuwen said the "beloved" after hours service had been "so reliable".

She said it was known for "excellent triage" that arranged for people to find the "right kind of care".

The cost-effective service prevented "more expensive hospital care" by managing patients "early and well".

"It's been a high quality, long-standing service. It's been a really successful model of GPs collaborating."

Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon said "I hear from Novocastrians every week about how hard it is to see their doctor".

"The former Liberal government's cuts and six-year freeze to Medicare rebates has created a crisis in general practice," Ms Claydon said.

She said reopening the after hours clinics would "help ease some of this burden".

Shortland MP Pat Conroy said there were "very few people in our region who have not used the services of the GP Access After Hours".

Hunter MP Dan Repacholi added that he had "seen and heard the horror stories of people waiting days and even weeks to be able to get in to see their GP".

The primary health network's chief executive, Richard Nankervis, said this funding "demonstrates the government's commitment to primary care".

"The funding could not have come at a better time. Everyone deserves equitable access to health care."

GP Access clinical director Dr Lee Fong said "anything to increase health resources in our region" was a "welcome development".

This was especially so, given that "the whole health system is under such a degree of strain".

"I think the most important part of the announcement is the guarantee of funding for another couple of years," Dr Fong said.

"GP Access is so valuable because it is not just another generic service."

He said it was "specifically and carefully designed" to help GPs meet "urgent after hours medical needs of our community in the best and most efficient way possible".

This could be "telephone advice, a clinic visit, or a home visit".

"It's a great model that needs to be staunchly defended for the long-term sake of our community.

"So a big thank you to our local federal members and the Minister for Health for doing that."

Dr Fong added that "it's really hard to see a GP at the moment".

"Very few medical graduates want to do general practice now. Plus, more and more tired and frustrated GPs are reducing their hours or pulling out entirely.

"For GP Access services to be forced to contract at the same time was bad for the entire health system."

EARLIER:

WORK is underway to reopen the Calvary Mater Hospital's GP Access clinic after a two-year commitment health agencies are hailing as a win for the Hunter community.

The workforce of doctors, registered nurses and admin staff to reopen the clinic after almost two years of hiatus is underway, with plans to treat patients again by the end of May.

The announcement stems from confirmation after hours GP Access services will be extended for another two years under a fresh contract.

The Newcastle Herald reported in November the process was underway.

Hunter Primary Care on Tuesday announced on Tuesday it had struck a fresh agreement with the Hunter New England Central Coast Primary Health Network (HNECC PHN) to cover Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Maitland.

In a statement Hunter Primary Care said it was a significant renewal "as historically contracts have only been renewed on an annual basis".

"Most importantly, both organisations have agreed that the funding provided is sufficient to re-open the GP Access clinic at the Calvary Mater Hospital," the health body said in a statement.

That clinic closed in December 2021 due to a lack of funding, sparking outcry from MPs and patients.

Chief operation officer Keith Drinkwater described the reversal as "a major win for the community".

"Hunter Primary Care deeply appreciates the contribution of Federal Member for Newcastle, Sharon Claydon MP, who lobbied long and hard on behalf of the local community to re-establish the GP Access services," Mr Drinkwater said.

"We are also very grateful to MPs Pat Conroy, Meryl Swanson and Dan Repacholi for their support."

Public health network CEO Richard Nankervis said the new funding commitment "could not have come at a better time".

"Everyone deserves equitable access to health care," he said.

"The re-opening of the GP Access clinic at the Calvary Mater as well as the restoration of the other GP Access services is a huge win for the people of Newcastle and the Hunter region."

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