Where should I go for care?

If symptoms are life-threatening — chest pain, breathing difficulty, suspected stroke, severe bleeding, anaphylaxis, suicidal ideation — go to the emergency department or call 000. For urgent issues that need in-person assessment but aren't life-threatening (sprains, simple wounds, severe asthma flare), an emergency department or a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic is appropriate. For moderate symptoms that need same-day medical input but no physical examination (UTIs, eye/ear infections, mild rashes, repeat scripts, certificates), a bulk-billed telehealth GP is the most efficient pathway.

A Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (UCC) is a federally-funded walk-in clinic for non-life-threatening urgent issues that don't need an emergency department. They're bulk-billed (free with a Medicare card), open extended hours, and equipped for things like simple fractures, wound care, ear/eye examinations, and same-day blood tests. Wait times are typically much shorter than the ED for these conditions.

No. 000 is the emergency services number — for life-threatening situations and when you need an ambulance, fire, or police. 1800MEDICARE (1800 633 422) is a free 24/7 nurse-triage line for non-emergency health concerns; the nurse can advise self-care, refer you to a UCC or ED, or after-hours transfer you to a free GP. If you're unsure which to call, 1800MEDICARE will direct you appropriately — but if life is in immediate danger, call 000 first.

Several Australian states have introduced pharmacist scope-of-practice trials that allow community pharmacists to assess and treat selected conditions — for example, uncomplicated UTIs in adult women, oral contraception resupply, and minor ailments. Eligibility varies by state and condition. The pharmacy will assess whether you're eligible and refer you to a GP if not. This is faster than booking a GP for some conditions, but a GP is still the right pathway when the pharmacist isn't authorised or symptoms don't fit the trial criteria.

The tool uses two inputs: how urgent the situation is, and the user's postcode. Red-flag symptoms always route to 000. Urgent issues route to the emergency department (with a link to NewDoc's live ED wait times for the user's state) or, for non-life-threatening urgent care, a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic. Moderate concerns route to bulk-billed telehealth as the default, with UCC and pharmacy escalation paths suggested. Non-urgent symptoms and admin-only consultations (scripts, certificates, referrals) route directly to telehealth.

Some moderate concerns — short-course antibiotics for an ongoing prescription, minor ailment treatment, or filling an eScript outside normal hours — can be resolved at an after-hours pharmacy without a GP visit. NewDoc maintains a directory of 24-hour and extended-hours pharmacies by state, which the tool surfaces when relevant. This isn't a replacement for clinical assessment — it complements telehealth as a faster pathway when a pharmacist is the right point of care.

No. This is a general-information triage tool that suggests pathways based on common symptom patterns and Australian healthcare options. It doesn't take a clinical history and doesn't replace a consultation. If symptoms are unclear, escalating, or accompanied by red-flag features, call 1800MEDICARE for free 24/7 nurse triage, or 000 if there is immediate danger.