Your 24 hour health advice line ... 1800 022 222
Calls from landlines are free. Mobile charges may apply.

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About Us

... (healthdirect Australia) will enable anyone, anywhere in Australia, to ring for health advice and information 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

What is healthdirect Australia?

healthdirect Australia is a free* 24-hour telephone health triage, information and advice service for residents of the ACT, NSW, the NT, Tasmania, SA and WA. healthdirect is scheduled to be a fully national service by 2011 and it's expected that when fully operational it will handle up to two million calls a year.
(*Calls from landlines are free. Mobile charges may apply.)

What healthdirect Australia is not!

healthdirect Australia is NOT a replacement for your doctor or the 000 emergency service. In a health emergency you should ALWAYS call an ambulance on 000.

Who answers when I call healthdirect Australia?

Your call will be answered by a Registered Nurse who will use sophisticated computerised decision support systems to provide safe and consistent assessment and advice.

Who can use the service?

At this stage, anyone in the ACT, NSW, the NT, Tasmania, SA, and WA who needs health advice or information can call healthdirect Australia at any time of the day or night to speak to a Registered Nurse.

How can I access healthdirect Australia?

No matter where you are in the ACT, NSW, the NT, SA, Tasmania and WA you can access healthdirect Australia through a single number – 1800 022 222. Callers with a speech or hearing impairment are able to use healthdirect through the National Relay Service. Interpreter services are also available.

When should I use healthdirect Australia?

healthdirect has been established to provide you with convenient, non-urgent health advice when, for example:

  • someone suddenly gets sick and you're not sure what to do
  • you want information on a specific health condition
  • you need to know where to find after-hours health-related services.

You do not have to be sick to use the service and you can call on behalf of relatives or friends.

How is my privacy protected if I call healthdirect Australia?

You can always choose to deal with healthdirect Australia anonymously, in which case your details are not subject to privacy laws because you cannot be identified as connected to the information. If you do provide information about yourself, healthdirect has systems and procedures in place to protect your personal information from misuse and loss, and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. healthdirect only permits its authorised personnel and contractors to access your information. All calls to healthdirect are recorded and retained for 25 years as is usual with health information. Click here to view the healthdirect Australia Privacy Policy

Why can't my call just be dealt with at X Hospital – they've always helped before?

The healthdirect Australia service provides faster access to health information and advice to meet your specific need. healthdirect will free up hospital staff to concentrate on patients who have presented to the Emergency Room or are an inpatient. The Registered Nurses at healthdirect have access to sophisticated computerised decision support systems which help them address your health concerns in a safe and consistent way, and provide appropriate advice based on the latest clinical evidence.

Who is behind healthdirect Australia?

healthdirect Australia is the collective trading name for the National Health Call Centre Network Limited (NHCCN Ltd) and those of its contractors who provide nationwide access 24 hours a day, seven days a week to healthcare triage, health advice and information. healthdirect is financed by Commonwealth, State and Territory governments.

Who is the healthdirect Australia service provider?

McKesson Asia Pacific Ltd was the successful bidder in a tender process to operate the healthdirect Australia service. McKesson Asia Pacific Ltd is extremely experienced in running this type of service and already runs this (and similar) programs for the people of the ACT, NSW, NT, Vic, WA and New Zealand. McKesson Asia Pacific has call centres based in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Wellington and Auckland, as well as a number of staff across Australia who work work from home. 

Why have a health call centre?

  • to improve links between the public and health care services
  • so people can get advice on attending the most appropriate health services (for example, going to a GP rather than to the hospital emergency department)
  • to provide easier access to health information and advice without increasing the pressures on other health services
  • to provide a more consistent and medico-legally reliable health care advice will be able to be given using computerised decision support system and proven clinical protocols
  • community health will improve in the long-term because of better access to health promotion, prevention and early intervention
  • the effect of GP shortages will be reduced—especially after-hours—as callers will be able to get good health advice, particularly on minor ailments, at any time
  • health information and advice is easier to get for disadvantaged groups, such as Aboriginal people, people in rural and remote Australia, people with disabilities and elderly people
  • health information and advice for people with a speech or hearing impairment and people with language difficulties can be obtained by using the Telephone Interpreter Service and the National Relay Service.
  • the local response to health emergencies is improved. This could be disease outbreaks, drug recalls, natural disasters, or terrorist incidents (for example, callers could get up-to-date information on the symptoms and treatment of Ross River Virus)