Free health advice for Auckland holiday-makers

Free health advice for Auckland holiday-makers

10 January 2012

Wallet? Check. Trailer? Check. Fishing rod? Check. Healthline number? Check.

Aucklanders heading off on holiday are encouraged to take the Healthline number with them – just in case. Often the last thing on people’s minds when they are on holiday is what to do in the case of illness or injury, but, thankfully, Healthline is on hand to help.

Healthline – 0800 611 116 – is a telephone health advice line that can be called free from landlines and mobile phones. It is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by registered nurses who can advise about the best thing to do when holiday accidents or illnesses occur.

Whether someone cuts themselves on a rock, gets stung by an insect or falls from a tree, Healthline’s free advice can make all the difference.

Depending on a person’s symptoms, callers may be encouraged to seek medical treatment or be given advice on how they can manage a condition or minor injury. Occasionally the nurse may refer you to be seen in the emergency department.

Healthline nurses can also direct you to the nearest GP clinic or after-hours pharmacy.

Healthline is funded by the Ministry of Health and provided under contract by Medibank Health Solutions.

Last quarter more than 13,000 calls to Healthline were made from the Auckland area, about 13 percent of the national total.

ENDS

© Scoop Media