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Health professionals: partner with healthdirect

healthdirect is Australia’s free, government-owned 24/7 service that helps people work out what to do next and connects them to the right care, first time. We complement — not replace — local care by guiding patients to self-care, pharmacy, general practice, urgent care, virtual GP or emergency services based on nurse-led clinical triage.

Website: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au
Clinician enquiries: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/contact-us

How healthdirect supports your patients and your practice

  • Right care, first time. Nurse triage matches patients to the safest next step, reducing unnecessary ED presentations and after-hours strain on general practice.

  • Continuity of care. With consent, virtual GP event summaries are sent to the patient’s nominated practice via secure messaging and can be uploaded to My Health Record.

  • After-hours safety net. When local options are closed or booked out, we can arrange a call-back from an Australian GP (phone or video), issue e-scripts/certificates, and direct to open pharmacies.

  • Inclusive access. Works by landline, supports interpreters, and can send e-scripts directly to the patient’s chosen pharmacy if they don’t use a mobile.

At a glance (recent NSW results): 61% of callers planning to attend ED were safely guided to lower-acuity care; 26% were supported to self-care; 62% of calls were after hours; consumer satisfaction ~93%.

Clinical governance and scope

  • Nurses: Australian RNs trained in telephone triage.

  • Virtual GPs: Australian specialist GPs (RACGP/ACRRM fellows).

  • Records: With consent, an event summary is sent to the patient’s regular GP via secure messaging and may be uploaded to My Health Record.

  • Not a deputising service: Directing patients to healthdirect does not meet Practice Incentives Program (PIP) after-hours deputising requirements.

Keep your healthdirect listing up to date (NHSD)

The National Health Services Directory (NHSD) powers the consumer Service Finder and is used by our nurses and GPs to locate open services and refer patients. Accurate listings = safer navigation and more appropriate referrals.

Update options

Option A — Update via healthdirect

  1. Go to https://www.healthdirect.gov.au

  2. Search your service in Australian health services.

  3. If details are incorrect or missing, use the suggest an edit / update your listing prompts to submit changes.

Option B — Update via Provider Connect Australia (PCA)

  • Use PCA to update once and share across multiple systems (including NHSD).

  • Start at the Australian Digital Health Agency: https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au (search “Provider Connect Australia”).

What to keep current

  • Practice name, address, phone, email

  • Opening hours (incl. after-hours, public holidays)

  • Appointment types (in-person, telehealth/virtual)

  • Booking links (e.g., HotDoc/Healthengine)

  • Secure messaging endpoints (e.g., Argus, HealthLink, Medical-Objects)

  • Clinical services offered (e.g., urgent care criteria, scripts, wound care)

  • Accessibility (ramps, parking), languages, interpreter availability

  • On-the-day/after-hours arrangements and walk-in policies

Tip: Review listings whenever hours change, new clinicians join, or you switch booking/secure-messaging providers. Large organisations can coordinate periodic audits across sites.

Frequently asked questions

  • No. Listing in NHSD is free, and there is no charge to receive referrals from healthdirect.

  • No. healthdirect is a safety net and navigation service. It is not an accredited medical deputising service and cannot be used to claim PIP after-hours incentives.

  • With consent, our clinicians document an event summary and send it via secure messaging to the nominated practice. Summaries can also be uploaded to My Health Record to support continuity.

  • Yes — via a referred virtual GP consult when clinically appropriate. e-scripts can be sent to the patient’s mobile or directly to a chosen pharmacy’s email.

  • Registered nurses use evidence-based triage pathways plus clinical judgement. Red-flag presentations are escalated to 000 or advised to attend ED immediately.

  • Keep your secure messaging endpoint active and visible in NHSD, and ensure your practice inbox is monitored. Include a fallback address and a named contact.

  • You may see 1800 Medicare branding during transition periods. The service model remains the same.