The federal government has quietly backflipped on its plan to scrap the After Hours GP helpline.
The helpline was scrapped in the 2015/16 budget with the money to be redirected to paying GPs incentives of up to $11 per patient to run their own after-hours services in a move aimed at cutting red tape.
The government said the changes would come into effect on July 1.
But on Wednesday it revealed the helpline would now continue until September 1.
After that, a "revamped" GP helpline will take calls from patients in areas where there are no face-to-face services available after hours.
Health Minister Sussan Ley remains committed to paying incentives to doctors to see patients face-to-face after hours.
But she said a helpline was needed as a "safety support net" for patients living in areas without after-hours services.
Australian Medical Association spokesman for general practice Brian Morton said the July 1 timetable had been unrealistic.
Doctors had not been informed the helpline would continue until September but Dr Morton welcomed the move to ensure there were no gaps in patient care, since many doctors were still trying to decide whether they would try the new system.
While the AMA welcomed the initial decision to put after-hours care back into the hands of GPs, there was mixed reaction among doctors, he said.
Patients get better care when their GPs offer after-hours services but it's a "terrible lifestyle" for doctors.
"Everyone has had to try and work out what they want to do and what the ramifications are," Dr Morton told AAP.
"A lot of doctors are saying it's a pitiful amount, $1 per night for answering the phone until 11pm."
Currently, calls to the helpline in most states and territories are first answered by Healthdirect Australia - a government-funded nurse-run helpline - before being transferred to the After Hours GP helpline.
The government said it would scrap the GP helpline after an independent review found it was poorly used and may have resulted in unnecessary visits to emergency departments.
A Health Department spokeswoman said the new helpline would be more cost effective and targeted, with callers only eligible if they have no face-to-face services in their area.
Eligible patients will then receive a call from a GP within an hour.
Opposition health spokeswoman Catherine King said the decision to abolish the helpline showed a lack of understanding of the needs of Australian families, particularly in rural and regional areas.
The decision to partially reinstate the service weeks later showed the government couldn't be trusted with health, she said.
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