Labor promises 24/7 health advice hotline with free after hours GP appointments

Anthony Albanese is set to unveil a major election pledge which will allow sick Aussies to access free after-hours and weekend GPs sessions via telehealth.

Sick Australians who require urgent medical attention will be able to access a free telehealth appointment with a GP on weekends and weeknights between 6pm to 8am, in a major election pitch Anthony Albanese is set to unveil on Sunday.

A re-elected Labor government will rebrand current national Healthdirect services, known as Nurse-on-Call in Victoria into the aptly-named 1800MEDICARE hotline, with a slated start date of January 1, 2026.

The announcement also comes with a $204.5m funding boost to increase the Medicare-backed telehealth capabilities of the health system.

A caller will be able to access medical advice via a registered nurse 24/7, and if needed they will be able to refer you to additional services like a normal-hours GP, a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, or a local hospital.

If a patient requires an urgent GP appointment, the nurse will be able to refer them to a free phone or video GP appointment, and the service is available all-hours on weekends and between 6pm to 8am on weeknights.

Anthony Albanese is set to unveil a major election pledge on Sunday, at a speech to the Labor Party faithful in Western Sydney. Picture: Jason Edwards / NewsWire

The Prime Minister will detail the major pledge on Sunday at a Labor rally in Western Sydney, marking the final week of campaigning before Australians hit the polls on May 3.

“At this election Australia faces a clear choice: a stronger Medicare with more bulk billing and more free urgent care under Labor, or more cuts to Medicare under Peter Dutton’s Liberals,” he said.

“Life isn’t 9 to 5. With 1800MEDICARE, neither is health care.”

“Whether your family needs urgent or ongoing health care, under Labor, Medicare will be there for all Australians, in every community.

Health Minister Mark Butler quoted data from the NSW Health that a statewide telehealth service could save about 85,000 unnecessary presentations to the emergency room every year.

Healthdirect data also states about 84 per cent of patients who are able to access a telehealth GP appointment do not then decide to go to the ER.

Extrapolating the figures nationally, Mr Butler said about 250,000 Australians would be able to “avoid an unnecessary trip to a hospital emergency department” through the 1800Medicare hotline.

“When illness or injury strikes in your family, 1800MEDICARE will be there – a 24/7 health advice line and after-hours GP telehealth service, backed by Medicare,” he said.

“With Medicare Urgent Care Clinics and 1800MEDICARE, free urgent care will be a 20-minute drive away for four in five Australians, and a phone call away for every Australian.”

Health Minister Mark Butler said the telehealth GP service could save 250,000 Australians from unnecessarily presenting to the the ER. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Amid the election campaign, Labor has warned a new Coalition government would cut funding to health programs, despite the Opposition Leader vowing that spending on health will remain at current settings.

The Coalition has said it will also implement Labor’s $8.5bn funding boost to increase bulk-billed GP sessions by 18 million a year, which would make nine out of 10 GP visits free by 2030, and triple the number of fully bulk-billed clinics.

It will also match Labor’s vow to cap PBS-listed prescriptions to $25 per script.

Originally published as Labor promises 24/7 health advice hotline with free after hours GP appointments