Uralla Medical Centre Medicare blunder resolved after health minister Mark Butler overturns Medicare decision

The Uralla Medical Centre was expected to close in just a few weeks after the clinic missed a deadline for accreditation to secure Medicare aid.

The rejection would have put the clinic out up to $120,000 in Medicare funding.

After a push from Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall and federal health minister Mark Butler, the rejection has been reversed.

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Mr Marshall said the backflip was a welcome victory for the town, with the medical centre just one of two clinics servicing the population.

"Everyone will be breathing a huge sigh of relief tonight," he said.

"I hope this situation never be repeated, in any community, as it was one of the worst cases of bureaucratic overreach I'd ever seen."

A spokesperson for the health minister said all issues had now been "resolved".

"The decision to withhold payments has been overturned and payments will be made to Uralla Medical Centre," the spokesperson said.

Doctor shortages are widespread across regional areas, and Mr Marshall said a little bit of leniency would go along way to helping the GP crisis.

This is an integral service for so many vulnerable and isolated members of the community, he said.

"We could not afford to see this clinic close and the loss of medical expertise from the community and our region," he said.

Mr Marshall wrote to Mr Butler on Monday requesting an urgent intervention to reverse the Medicare decision.

The Uralla Medical Centre was contacted for comment.

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