- Published:
- Wednesday 21 October 2026 at 9:00 am
One million calls have been made to the Virtual Emergency Department, meaning more Victorians than ever are accessing free, round-the-clock urgent care.
This milestone wouldn't be possible without the work of dedicated doctors and nurses, who provide Victorians with clinical assessments, medical advice and referrals.
Starting as a pilot in October 2020, Australia's first Virtual Emergency Department rolled out statewide in April 2022.
Operated by Northern Health, the service offers video consultations with emergency-trained doctors and nurses, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for people experiencing urgent but non-life-threatening health concerns.
These are health concerns like:
- nausea and/or vomiting
- falls or mobility concerns
- chest or lung infections
- fever
- flu
- back pain
- rashes, stings or bites.
Between July 2025 and June 2026, more than 83 per cent of calls did not require the patient to be transported to or treated at a physical emergency department, helping reduce avoidable hospital visits.
The Virtual Emergency Department is also helping paramedics get back on the road sooner. From April to June this year, around 79 per cent of patients referred by a paramedic received the care they needed without being transported to an emergency department.
Callers don't need an appointment, Medicare card or referral and the Virtual Emergency Department can be accessed by anyone in Victoria with a phone, tablet or computer.
To ensure better access to care, the service also partners with:
- hospitals
- Ambulance Victoria
- residential aged care facilities
- GPs
- Urgent Care Clinics
- Urgent Care Centres
- Nurse-on-Call
To learn more and pre-register, see Virtual Emergency Department website.
Updated