41,000 patients call govt’s new Medicare-branded health helpline in 10 days
1900 callers were referred to a telehealth consult with a GP contracted by Healthdirect.
More than 40,500 Australians called the Federal Government’s new health helpline, dubbed 1800 Medicare, in its first 10 days, health officials say.
Launched on 1 January, the Healthdirect-run helpline involves nurses giving patients advice on symptoms to “guide them to the right care”.
If the nurse decides the patient needs a GP consultation, and the patient says local doctors are unavailable, the nurse sends the patient to a free telehealth consultation with a 1800 Medicare GP.
Healthdirect says it contracts these GPs through large medical service providers, including Aspen Medical and the Medibank-owned Amplar Health.
