Virtual Emergency Care Service
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Our virtual emergency care service (VECS) is a safe way to get emergency care by video call if your illness or injury isn’t life threatening.
When to go to an emergency department
Go to an emergency department or call Triple Zero (000) if you have a life threatening injury or illness. This includes chest pains, difficulty breathing, severe pain or bleeding.
Who can use virtual emergency care
Anyone in Queensland can use our virtual emergency care service, including people visiting the state. It’s free and you don’t need a Medicare card, or a referral from your GP.
We’re open every day from 8 am to 10 pm, including public holidays.
Use the healthdirect symptom checker to help decide if virtual care is right for you.
What we can help with
We treat conditions that aren’t life threatening. You may feel unwell or in pain, but you don’t need an ambulance or immediate hospital care.
Our team of emergency health professionals will make sure you get the urgent care you need and can:
- prescribe medicine
- refer you to other services for things like x-rays or blood tests
- arrange a follow up or referral.
If you need to see a doctor in person, they’ll link you with other services. If you live in a metro area this may be a satellite health centre or a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic. Otherwise, it’ll be your nearest health service or hospital if you need emergency care.
What we don’t do
As an emergency care service, we don’t offer routine care like a GP does. We’re here to help when you’re suddenly unwell, need immediate care, or your condition is getting worse.
You’ll need to see your GP for things like:
- repeat prescriptions
- medical certificates
- pathology or imaging requests .
We may arrange prescriptions, certificates, or tests if they’re related to your sudden illness or injury.
We don’t prescribe restricted medicines such as endone, methadone, fentanyl, diazepam, or lyrica.
We also don’t complete forms for WorkCover, insurance, Centrelink, or fitness-to-drive assessments.
How to access virtual emergency care
You can access virtual care by using the symptom checker on Healthdirect or by calling 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84).
This will help you decide if virtual care is right for you, or if you should go to a health clinic or see your GP.
Getting set up
You'll need a device with a camera, speaker, and microphone like a laptop, computer, smartphone or tablet.
You can talk to a doctor or nurse on the phone, but video appointments work best, especially if you have an injury.
Make sure you have a good internet connection and turn your TV or radio down so you can hear properly.
Hi, I’m Doctor Selin, and I’m here to talk to you about your video call appointment, which means you can have your video consultation from anywhere you feel comfortable.
If you would like to join a video call appointment, you’ll just need a smartphone, tablet, or computer with a camera, a good internet connection and a bit of confidence using technology.
If that sounds like you, video calls can be a really convenient and effective way to get the care you need.
Once your appointment is confirmed, we’ll send you a text or email with the details. It’s a good idea to do a quick test run beforehand to make sure everything’s working.
On the day of your appointment, just follow the clinic’s instructions to join. If you received a link, click it about 5 minutes before your appointment. If you are given a dial in number, enter it along with your name, on the telehealth portal.
Before your appointment, have anything important ready, like recent test results. And keep a pen and paper handy for notes. It’s also helpful to think of any questions you would like to ask. During your appointment, feel free to ask any questions about your treatment.
If your doctor needs to send you a prescription or test forms, they will do so in a way that suits you. This might be via SMS, email or sending a physical copy to your home.
At the end of your appointment, talk to your doctor about whether another appointment is required, and if virtual care is still right for you.
Thanks for choosing virtual care. We look forward to seeing you soon.
For more information on virtual care and video call appointments visit www.health.qld.gov.au/telehealth.
When you’ve connected to our team
After you connect with our emergency service, you’ll be assessed by our emergency nurse.
Depending on your needs, you may:
- have a video consultation with an emergency doctor
- be linked to another health service
- be advised to go to an emergency department.
If you have a video consultation with an emergency doctor, they’ll also assess whether they can treat you or refer you to another health service.
Your appointment
When you see one of our doctors, they may give you:
- a prescription for medicine
- medical imaging or blood test referral
- advice or other treatment.
They’ll explain what each one is for and how to get them.
We’ll also email your GP for a follow up appointment if you need one.