After hours

Support for after hours care

Brisbane South PHN supports improved access to healthcare in the community when it is needed outside of usual business operating hours (in the ‘after hours’), by focusing on:

• developing local responses to address after hours primary health care needs of local communities

• supporting the after hours primary health care workforce

• promoting service coordination

• supporting after hours service providers to integrate care with a patient’s usual primary care provider

• addressing service gaps

• reducing emergency department presentations.

What is ‘after hours care’? 

After hours care refers to healthcare provided outside standard operating hours. This is defined by the Australian Medical Association (AMA) as being:

• weekdays from 6 pm to 8 am

• weekends from 12 pm Saturday until 8 am on Monday

• all hours of the day and night on public holidays.

Support for providing more options for after hours care in local communities helps to reduce strain on hospital emergency departments, boosts general practice patient satisfaction through a commitment to patient-centred care, and helps prevent minor health issues from escalating into major health crises.

General practice after hours and accreditation 

As a part of accreditation, it is a requirement that a general practice must have a formal agreement in place of how after hours care will be managed for patients outside of general practice hours.   More information in regard to after hours accreditation requirements can be found through the RACGP website.

General practices may be entitled to claim MBS rebates designed specifically for delivering after hours care.  After hours billing codes and associated rebates can be accessed through MBS online.  

Accredited practices are also entitled to register for and claim after hours Practice Incentive Payments (PIP).  PIP payments are designed to encourage general practice to provide care in the after hours period, reduce emergency department presentations and support continuity of care. Further information about PIP or how to register for PIP can be found HERE.

After hours services in the Brisbane South PHN region 

Listed below is an overview of key after hours services available within the Brisbane South PHN region. After hours services for the Greater Brisbane region can be found on our FindCareFast website here: findcarefast.com.au/after-hours-services.

After hours service navigation tools

Find Care Fast website

To improve consumer awareness of all available healthcare services, and the understanding of which service to use and when, Brisbane South PHN and Brisbane North PHN developed Find Care Fast, a local health services navigation site. Find Care Fast supports people living and working in the Greater Brisbane area to find the right care, at the right place when needed, through a quick search of the website. Visit the website to learn more.

Open Hospitals website

Queensland Health providers consumers and health professionals with live wait times for Queensland hospital emergency departments and Minor Injury and Illness Clinics, over on their Open Hospitals website. Visit https://openhospitals.health.qld.gov.au/