What is available?
All Tasmanians have access to free after hours medical advice through the national healthdirect Australia telephone helpline.
Registered nurses at healthdirect Australia provide information and advice.
If a nurse decides a Tasmanian caller needs more care, the caller is transferred to a doctor at GP Assist in Tasmania. This is an arrangement unique to Tasmania, funded by Primary Health Tasmania.
GP Assist doctors provide callers with medical care and advice. They may also provide a prescription or a referral to an after hours clinic, a local on-call GP, or a hospital emergency department.
GP Assist will, with permission, send a copy of the consultation record to the caller’s usual GP.
More information about after hours medical support for Tasmanians is also available at Primary Health Tasmania's Tas After Hours website.
Who is eligible?
The service is available to all callers within Tasmania.
Who can make a referral?
No referral is required. Healthdirect triage nurses will decide whether to refer callers to a local on-call GP .
How much does it cost?
This is a free service.
Where is it available?
This service is available statewide.
Are there other after hours services specifically for vulnerable people?
Yes. Click here to read about them.