Perth clinic closure to pressure EDs

The closure of the GP after-hours clinic at Royal Perth Hospital because of funding cuts could drive more people to its emergency department, Health Minister John Day admits.

Opposition health spokesman Roger Cook said he understood the clinic attached to Rockingham hospital may have also shut its doors, but Mr Day could not confirm any closures other than RPH.

"There's quite a number of GP services available after hours now and locum services, so I hope there won't be any significant increase in the number of people accessing the emergency department at Royal Perth Hospital, but I guess there may be a small increase," Mr Day told reporters on Thursday.

The company that ran the RPH clinic for more than a decade, 360 Health + Community, said it was disappointed the state government had ceased funding.

"Our clinic treated literally thousands of patients over the years and we were very confident in our ability to deliver a high quality, cost-effective service that kept people out of the emergency department," chief executive Paul Hersey said.

"I appreciate that government need to make tough decisions but that's not our primary interest.

"We are here for the consumer and right now the consumer has fewer options and can no longer access what was until recently a valued and effective service."

Mr Cook said the cuts would heap pressure on emergency departments that were already struggling to cope with demand.

"It was an important program," he told AAP.

"This is fundamental for making our emergency departments work better. This is simply a backward step."

Mr Cook said it was absurd that less than a month ago, the state government launched a costly new advertising campaign to urge people to use alternatives to emergency departments.

He called on the Barnett government to reinstate funding to the clinics.