Medibank Health Solutions is pleased to announce that they have been appointed as the provider of the new GP After Hours service which is due to launch on 1st July 2011.
GP After Hours is the Australian Government's new medical advice and diagnosis service which will provide telephone access to GP advice free of charge to the public in the following hours:
- 6pm to 8am Monday to Saturday
- 12pm Saturday to 8am Monday
- On national, state and territory public holidays
The service will form part of the healthdirect Australia initiative and will help individuals with health concerns who need to see a GP at night or on the weekend when their usual practice is closed. Through the new service, these individuals will be able to contact healthdirect Australia where they will have their condition assessed by a nurse, who will either deal with the health concern presented or when appropriate, transfer the caller to a GP who will provide further medical advice and treatment options.
Medibank will employ approximately 100 qualified GPs to deliver the service. Medibank Health Solution's unique CECC (Care Enhanced Call Centre) platform will be utilised to manage the triage process and together with a suite of Decision Support Tools, the GP will be enabled to provide appropriate advice and diagnosis. As part of continued innovation, from July 2012, the service will include the capacity for the provision of medical advice and diagnosis via web based video technology.
George Savvides, Managing Director of Medibank, said, "GP After Hours is an exciting new service which we are proud to deliver on behalf of the Government. In an increasingly connectivity-focussed world, it is important to provide people with access to quality GP services when they actually need them. Furthermore, by giving patients greater options regarding how they can have their healthcare needs met in the after-hours period the pressure on the public hospital system will be eased, in particular on emergency departments."
Medibank Health Solutions currently provides nurse triage, information and advice services, which offer 24-hour access to registered nurses for residents in both Australia and New Zealand. These services are provided through healthdirect Australia in the ACT, NSW, NT, Tasmania, SA and WA, and through NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria and Healthline in New Zealand.