Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Urgent Care Services in NSW.
People should call for an ambulance on Triple Zero (000) or go to an emergency department immediately if they have a severe injury or illness or a life-threatening emergency.
Examples of life-threatening emergencies include:
There are a range of in-person and virtual Urgent Care Services available which provide treatment and advice for urgent health issues.
Some in-person Urgent Care Services are equipped and staffed to treat a range of illnesses and injuries that are not life-threatening. Some in-person Urgent Care Services also provide free x-ray and pathology services for Medicare card holders and community-based asylum seekers. This means people can have their urgent illness or injury quickly managed in the one place.
Virtual Urgent Care Services remotely connect people by phone or video call with health experts who can treat and advise on urgent care needs. These include specialist doctors and nurses, who can assess their situation and support them to receive appropriate treatment and advice.
healthdirect is a government-funded service that provides health information and advice through a website, app and telephone helpline.
healthdirect helps people manage their own health and connects them with the right care in the right place for their health issues, including but not limited to a range of Urgent Care Services.
The healthdirect helpline is available to call for free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 1800 022 222. Callers speak with a registered nurse who asks some questions about their condition and then guides them to the care they need in the right place for their situation and location, including:
People with hearing or speech difficulties should first visit the National Relay Service website to choose a relay method that works for them and ask for healthdirect.
Yes. Interpreter services are provided free of charge for any person who requests or requires them.
People access Urgent Care Services by calling healthdirect. For interpreter support, people should first call TIS National on 131 450 and ask to be transferred to healthdirect on 1800 022 222.
Some people residing in or visiting Australian states and territories outside of NSW can access Urgent Care Services located in NSW. Callers to healthdirect on 1800 022 222 who require urgent medical attention, such as those located close to the NSW border, may be connected with services located within NSW, if appropriate.
People in all Australian states and territories except Queensland can call healthdirect (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria) on 1800 022 222 and be connected with appropriate locally available health services.
People living in or visiting Queensland can call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) to speak to a registered nurse 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and be connected with appropriate locally available health services.
Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are also available in all Australian states and territories.
We welcome all feedback, as it helps us to understand what we are doing well and how we can improve our health services.
People who receive care from healthdirect or from an Urgent Care Service may be contacted by email or text message to provide feedback on their experience.
People who wish to provide feedback directly to either NSW Health or to healthdirect can follow the below guidance.
To provide feedback (compliments, suggestions or complaints) about the care received through an Urgent Care Service, you can tell us about your experience through our feedback form.
To provide feedback (compliments, suggestions or complaints) about the healthdirect service please visit the healthdirect Australia website.
Yes. There are a range of different Urgent Care Services in NSW. Many are available to all age groups.
Some are designed to provide services specifically for the elderly, including several geriatric outreach services.
The virtualKIDS Urgent Care Service is designed specifically to provide urgent care for children aged up to 15 years.
By accessing Urgent Care Services through healthdirect, people are connected with the most appropriate service for their situation, location and age.
Yes. People of any age can call healthdirect.
When a child aged 16 years or younger calls healthdirect, the nurse will usually ask if there is an adult with them that the nurse can also speak to. If no adult is present, or the child requests privacy, the nurse will ask the child a series of questions about their condition to determine the most appropriate health care for their situation and location. The nurse then provides age-appropriate health information and health advice or connects the child with the most appropriate health care available to them.
Virtual Urgent Care Services remotely connect people by phone or video call with health experts who can treat and advise on urgent care needs.
Virtual Urgent Care Services available in NSW include:
NSW Health takes the protection of health privacy and personal information seriously and is bound by legislation to respect and maintain the privacy rights of patients, staff and other third parties.
Detailed information about the privacy laws and policies that apply to NSW Health, and to health services delivered by NSW Health, can be found on the NSW Health website.
By accessing an Urgent Care Service instead of an emergency department for urgent health issues that are not life-threatening, people get the treatment they need and avoid waiting in a busy emergency department. This takes pressure off emergency departments, allowing them to focus on the most critically ill or injured patients.
Some in-person Urgent Care Services provide free x-ray and pathology services for Medicare card holders and community-based asylum seekers. This means that people who need these services can have their urgent illness or injury quickly managed in the one place.
Patients receiving care from an Urgent Care Service should advise staff immediately if they feel they are getting sicker, or their condition is worsening.
If a patient gets sicker when using an Urgent Care Service, medical and nursing staff will quickly assess their condition and decide where the best place for their care needs is, including arranging transport to the emergency department if their situation has become life-threatening.
Patients and their carers can also call Triple Zero (000) at any time.
The hospital care system in NSW continues to experience high demand for care, with many people presenting to emergency departments with urgent care needs that are not life-threatening.
Urgent Care Services relieve pressure on busy emergency departments and the hospital care system by expanding access to urgent care in community and virtual settings where people can be treated quickly and appropriately.
This frees up capacity in emergency departments and within hospitals to focus on the most critically ill or injured patients.
The Urgent Care System is intended to complement the role of primary care providers, by improving access to urgent care in appropriate community and virtual settings.
Primary care providers are the coordinators of their patients’ healthcare, and Urgent Care Services support this by providing short-term episodic care for urgent illnesses or injuries, with referral of patients back to their primary care provider for ongoing care and care navigation.
For people who have a regular General Practitioner (GP) or are a MyMedicare patient registered with a particular General Practice, information about their use of an Urgent Care Service and the treatment they received can be securely provided to their GP to ensure any required follow-up care can be provided.