Dear PrEMN colleagues,
Over the past two years, the Private Emergency Medicine Network (PrEMN) has continued to mature from a small representative network into a more active voice for private emergency medicine across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
Private emergency medicine occupies a distinctive and sometimes poorly understood place in the acute healthcare system. Our departments and services care for large numbers of patients, reduce pressure on public EDs, support training pathways, create flexible and sustainable work opportunities for emergency clinicians, and contribute to public hospital systems that are often under significant financial and operational strain.
Yet despite this contribution, the private emergency medicine sector remains under-described, under-measured and, at times, under-represented. Much of PrEMN’s recent work has been directed at changing that.
A stronger voice within ACEM
One of the most important developments over the past two years has been the increasing visibility of private emergency medicine within ACEM.
PrEMN has been actively represented in discussions with the College’s Health System Reform Advisory Committee, including presentations on the role of private EDs, FACEM-led urgent care models, and funding models for private EM services.
There has also been growing recognition that the College needs better data about the private emergency care sector. At present, many private EDs and related services are not subject to mandatory reporting requirements, and there is no comprehensive national dataset that properly captures the work being done. This makes it difficult to describe our contribution, advocate for sensible policy, or understand how private services interact with public system demand.
PrEMN has therefore supported work towards a national survey of private emergency care services, in collaboration with ACEM staff and the College research team. The aim is to build a clearer picture of private emergency departments, FACEM-led urgent care centres and standalone emergency care services across Australia and New Zealand.
This will be an important piece of foundational work. Before we can advocate effectively, we need to be able to describe who we are, where we work, what we do, and how much care is being provided outside the traditional public hospital ED model.
National survey of private emergency care services
A major focus for 2026 will be the development of a national survey of private emergency medicine services.
The survey will seek to identify and describe the range of services operating in this space, including established private hospital ED, FACEM-led urgent care centres, private virtual emergency medicine services, and other standalone emergency care models.
The PrEMN Executive will work with ACEM to develop and distribute the survey. The College will assist with survey infrastructure, distribution support, and promotion. PrEMN will assist by using the knowledge and networks of its members to identify relevant services and key contacts, as well as analysing the results.
We anticipate calling for expressions of interest from PrEMN members who would like to contribute to a small working group. This group will help refine the service list, engage with clinical leaders, and ensure the survey is pragmatic.
Private ED accreditation and workforce advocacy
Private ED accreditation with ACEM has remained an important issue for many PrEMN members.
Over the past two years, PrEMN has continued to advocate for the value of private EDs as training environments and as important contributors to the emergency medicine workforce. Private EDs provide exposure to different models of care, operational pressures, funding structures, and interfaces with inpatient specialists and private hospital systems.
For registrars, private emergency medicine can offer valuable clinical experience, flexibility, and a greater understanding of the health system. For FACEMs, private practice can provide sustainable career options at different stages of professional life.
PrEMN has also continued to highlight the importance of the APED program (that allows ACEM trainees to bill MBS items whilst undertaking work that furthers their training in the private ED setting). There is a clear need to preserve workable pathways for trainees and non-specialist doctors working in accredited private emergency departments. The ability of private EDs to staff 24-hour services, support registrar employment, and provide meaningful clinical experience depends on appropriate funding and sensible accreditation arrangements.
Urgent care and new models of emergency physician-led care
Another major area of activity has been the evolving urgent care space.
The inaugural Australian Urgent Care Clinic Special Interest Group meeting brought together a range of stakeholders to discuss the future of urgent and emergency care outside traditional hospital EDs. The discussion recognised that a tiered system of urgent care already exists in Australia, ranging from FACEM-led services, to GP-led urgent care clinics, to nurse practitioner-led models.
A recurring theme was the need for clearer governance, standards and clinical oversight. While different models will suit different communities, the PrEMN Executive has supported the view that FACEM-led urgent care should sit within the scope of emergency medicine rather than being seen as something separate from it, and will continue to advocate this position to ACEM.
The PrEMN Executive members are supporting the development of a white paper for submission to ACEM. This paper will describe the model of care, scope of practice, workforce implications, governance requirements and system benefits of FACEM-led urgent care and related services.
Engagement with government and health-system reform
PrEMN’s engagement with ACEM’s Health System Reform Advisory Committee has helped bring private emergency medicine into College policy discussions.
At a time when governments are looking for ways to reduce pressure on public EDs, it is essential that private emergency medicine is more visible. Private EDs, FACEM-led urgent care services and other acute care models already contribute to system capacity. However, without reliable data and coherent advocacy, that contribution is easy to overlook.
PrEMN’s work over the past two years has therefore focused on positioning private emergency medicine as a serious part of the acute care system.
Building the PrEMN community
The PrEMN Executive has also been working to improve member engagement.
For 2026, the network has planned a combination of executive meetings, an all-members meeting, a webinar, newsletter updates and opportunities for members to contribute to working groups.
A PrEMN webinar is planned for 23 July 2026.
The webinar is expected to focus on themes relevant to private emergency medicine, urgent care, and training in the private sector. Like other ACEM Network webinars, these are aimed at not just the network members, but to anyone who wants to learn more about the network and the changing shape of emergency physician practice. Further details will be circulated once the program is confirmed.
We also intend to make better use of the PrEMN forum and ACEM communication channels so that members can hear about ongoing advocacy, contribute to key pieces of work, and share issues arising in their own departments and services.
Invitation to members
PrEMN is only useful if it reflects the experience of its members.
We are keen to hear from clinicians (FACEMs, CMOs, nurses, and more) working in private emergency medicine settings. We particularly welcome members who are interested in contributing to the national survey work, sharing information about their service, participating in future webinars, or helping develop standards and policy positions.
Thank you to all members who have contributed to the network over the past two years, and to the ACEM Member Experience and Research teams for their ongoing support.
We look forward to continuing this work with you in 2026.
Warm regards,
Dr Ian Turner
Chair, Private Emergency Medicine Network
Australasian College for Emergency Medicine