Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Primary Healthcare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister for Health and Ageing, in writing, on 21 September 2011:

In respect of healthdirect Australia, in July and August 2011, how many calls were (a) made to (i) the after-hours GP helpline, and (ii) a triage registered nurse, and (b) triaged to (i) a general practitioner telephone consultation, (ii) follow-up by usual general practitioner, (iii) an emergency department, (iv) a medical deputising service, and (v) Triple Zero (000).

Nicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

In respect of healthdirect Australia:

(a) (i) Callers cannot directly access the after hours GP helpline. Patients who call healthdirect Australia in the after hours period1 will initially be triaged by a registered nurse. If the nurse determines the patient will benefit from a GP telephone conversation, the caller will be transferred to a telephone-based GP.

Therefore, the most appropriate nurse triage disposition to assess the number of calls made to the after hours GP helpline is 'Speak to Telephone GP'.

(ii) The number of calls made to a triage registered nurse in July and August 2011 were 70,303 and 70,858 respectively.

(b) (i) The most appropriate healthdirect Australia nurse triage disposition to assess the number of calls triaged to a general practitioner telephone consultation is 'Speak to Telephone GP'.

(ii) A registered nurse triage disposition to follow-up by usual general practitioner is not available.

The five most appropriate healthdirect Australia nurse triage dispositions to assess the number of calls triaged to follow-up by usual general practitioner are 'See Doctor immediately', 'See Doctor within 4 hours', 'See Doctor within 24 hours', 'See Doctor within 72 hours' and 'See Doctor within 2 weeks'.

(iii) The most appropriate healthdirect Australia nurse triage disposition to assess the number of calls triaged to an emergency department is 'Attend Emergency Department immediately'.

(iv) A registered nurse triage disposition to a medical deputising service is not available.

Therefore, the number of calls triaged to a medical deputising service cannot be provided.

(v) The most appropriate healthdirect Australia nurse triage disposition to assess the number of calls triaged to Triple Zero (000) is 'Activate 000'.