Future of Joondalup After Hours GP Clinic uncertain as Ramsay confirm its operations are under review

Private hospital provider Ramsay Health Care has confirmed its Joondalup after hours GP clinic is under review as rumours swirl its doors could be closed soon. The uncertain future of the clinic at Joondalup Health Campus is fuelling concerns it will put one of the busiest emergency departments in Australia under further pressure. It is the second time in a month the viability of Ramsay Health Care’s Joondalup private offerings has come into question, after The West Australian revealed private maternity services at the hospital had been bit by the departure of two obstetricians. The After Hours GP Clinic at Joondalup Health Campus has been providing medical care to patients, who need urgent care but do not need to visit the emergency department, for more than 21 years. The website advises the clinic usually operates weeknights from 7pm to 11pm, however, operations have come into question recently with the service often shut earlier than expected. This has been much to the gripe of people in need of an urgent care service with online reviews highlighting they thought the clinic was open only to arrive to shut doors. “We drove 40 minutes to find out (at 9.30pm) that it was closed, despite the sign outside saying til 11,” one person wrote on Google Reviews two months ago. “No other urgent cares would be open by the time we left Joondalup to go elsewhere, and the ED was completely full.” Patients are now advised to phone the hospital before attending to get the latest information. A Joondalup Health Campus spokeswoman would not be drawn on if the clinic would be closing, however, she said the hospital was “reviewing its After-Hours GP Clinic operations”. The potential closure raises concerns about putting further pressure on an emergency department, which is already one of the busiest in the Perth metropolitan area. The Joondalup Health Campus ED was among the busiest in Perth on Thursday with wait times getting to as high as 162 minutes for triage 4 — semi-urgent — patients. Australian Medical Association WA president Kyle Hoath said he was aware of the review at the clinic. “We would be concerned by any move to close or wind back an after hours GP clinic at JHC at a time when WA emergency departments are under sustained pressure,” he said. “Such clinics exist to provide urgent GP-level care after hours, that treat a wide range of conditions that could otherwise end up in ED. “JHC operates under a public-private partnership arrangement and decisions that affect after hours GP access and ED demand have clear system-wide implications. “JHC is a major hospital for Perth’s northern corridor, and its ED managed 97,624 presentations in 2023-24, so any action that results in a narrowing of access to after hours primary care needs to be approached very carefully and transparently.”