healthdirect Australia is a 24-hour telephone health advice line staffed by Registered Nurses to provide expert health advice. It is currently available to residents of the Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia. healthdirect will be made progressively available to residents of New South Wales and Tasmania. healthdirect is scheduled to be a fully national service by 2011.
1800 022 222
Inigo had his 6 month vaccinations today. The paediatrician said that it was a good idea to give it to him as well as the antibiotics, to help his immunity – just in case he has got the bug.
He got the shot at about midday, and at 7pm his temperature was 37.7. By 8pm, it was 39.3.
I rang Westmead Hospital, who put me through to healthdirect. I spoke to a registered nurse who took our details, and then gave me clear, detailed advice about what to do, when to do it, and when to start tearing my hair out and run around the room screaming.
What is incredible about this service, is that I have never heard of it. Even the website says that it isn’t yet available in NSW.
So, I’ll still miss Emily terribly when she leaves next week, but I still have a medical professional on call 😉
Disco Knitter 
Yeah, and they’ll be up to date cos they’re practicing here and now!
Glad you’ll miss me, though…
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…as I will you, all three!
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Oh, Lara, I can relate. DD had a reaction like that to her one of her shots – our doctor said it was whooping cough [they use whole vaccine] and not to have her immunised with Triple Antigen again – hence my recent comment on her un-immunised state!
Glad to hear there are proficient medical professionals on hand by phone these days!
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Lara, we found this recently after ringing the hospital too, they are fantastic!!!!!
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There is a NSW one as well. i found it once… lost the number of course…
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This is the one in NSW – the website says it doesn’t yet work in NSW, but the website is clearly out of date 🙂
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It’s so good to know its going to be in NSW. We’ve used it so many times with L over here. Every time we’re a bit unsure whether or not to take him to the hospital. Of the 5 times we’ve called, we’ve been told to go to emergency once.
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I think the nSW was a plunkett line. It was down when we tried to use it in 07. might be up again now.
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