Free virtual health care from comfort of home

A new free virtual healthcare service has been expanded on the Central Coast.

Health Minister Ryan Park announced that residents in the Central Coast Local Health District would now be able to access free and safe virtual care for non-life-threatening conditions, right from the comfort of their own home.

This virtual care service covers non-life-threatening illnesses or injuries including coughs, colds, fevers and flu; respiratory symptoms; vomiting and diarrhoea; or minor infections and rashes.

The service will be available between 8am and 10pm seven days a week for people aged 16 years and older.

When people phone HealthDirect on 1800 022 222 they will first speak to a registered nurse who will assess the patient’s condition, and if appropriate, refer them to the virtual care service.

The service uses video conferencing technology to connect patients with a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, including doctors and nurses, where clinically appropriate.

Virtual care forms part of a broader range of measures to relieve pressure on the state’s busy emergency departments, including $100M investment for a further two years to continue urgent care services, providing a pathway to care outside of our hospitals for an estimated 114,000 patients and $70M over four years to expand emergency department short stay units to improve patient flow to reduce emergency department wait times by nearly 80,000 hours.

More than $15M has been earmarked for an Ambulance Matrix that provides real-time hospital data to enable paramedics to transport patients to emergency departments with greater capacity and reducing wait times.

About $31M over four years will go to increasing Hospital in the Home across the state allowing more than 3,500 additional patients each year to be cared for in their home rather than a hospital bed and $53.9M to improve patient flow and support discharge planning by identifying patients early that are suitable to be discharged home with the appropriate supports in place.

Minister for Central Coast and Member for Wyong David Harris said the measures would help alleviate pressure on the busy emergency departments in Central Coast hospitals.

“It is becoming increasingly difficult to access and afford a GP which has led to increased pressure on our already busy emergency departments in Central Coast’s hospitals having to deal with non-emergencies,” he said.

“It is crucial that we alleviate pressure from our emergency departments, and we know that alternative services like this virtual healthcare service is a step in the right direction. 

“Free services like this ensure the growing Central Coast community has access to essential healthcare from the comfort of their home.” 

Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch said the announcement of the new free virtual care service for urgent but non-life-threatening illnesses or injuries complemented the expansion of the virtualKIDS Urgent Care Service announced in 2023.