Free virtual health care now available across NSW

EVERYONE in New South Wales can now access free virtual urgent care for non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses, with the statewide rollout of NSW Health’s service complete.

The program allows patients to speak to a nurse over the phone and, if appropriate, be connected to a doctor, nurse or allied health professional via video call.

Clinicians can provide advice, prescriptions and referrals to follow-up care.

Almost 16,000 patients used the service in the past financial year as it expanded across Sydney and regional NSW. It comes on top of 216,000 attendances to urgent care services and clinics in 2024-25.

Health minister Ryan Park said the service was helping to reduce pressure on emergency departments.

“It’s often the case that our EDs are being attended by people with non-life-threatening conditions,” Park said.

“That’s why I’m so pleased to announce the completion of our rollout of virtual urgent care services across Sydney and across NSW. This is complementing our urgent care services and clinics which are also providing an alternative pathway to care outside of the hospital.”

ED wait times have improved at major hospitals, with Blacktown Hospital almost tripling the proportion of patients treated on time for urgent T2 cases over the past two years, and Liverpool Hospital increasing its rate by a third.

Ambulance ramping has also eased, with more patients transferred from paramedics to hospital staff within 30 minutes.

The service currently has 80 full-time equivalent staff and is available from 8am to 10pm, seven days a week by calling Healthdirect on 1800 022 222.

Conditions that can be treated include coughs, colds, fevers, flu, rashes, vomiting, diarrhoea, minor infections and small injuries such as sprains or cuts.