Healthdirect Video Call sees highest-ever monthly volumes as Australians choose virtual care over costly trips to the GP
Published: 18 May 2026
Healthdirect Australia has recorded the highest volume of telehealth consultations in the history of the Healthdirect Video Call platform, with data suggesting rising fuel prices are driving Australians toward virtual healthcare options.
March and April 2026 saw the two highest months on record for Healthdirect Video Call consultations, surpassing even the September 2021 COVID peak, with 164,588 consultations in March alone1.
Virtual care tracking fuel prices
Analysis of platform data shows consumer use of virtual care pathways has risen in close correlation with petrol and diesel prices over the past two months. Use of virtual pathways following triage increased from approximately 15% to a peak of 20% of all triages in metropolitan areas, with a higher proportion recorded in rural and regional areas where travel distances to health services are greater.
In March Healthdirect Video Call delivered more telehealth consultations than during the peak of COVID — not driven by lockdowns this time, but fuel prices. What we built during COVID is now pulling its weight to alleviate cost-of-living pressure, helping 165,000 Australians last month alone.Bettina McMahon, CEO, Healthdirect Australia
"We in the health system know that access to care has always been shaped by economics. Here is a concrete example of how the cost of getting to services is part of that picture."
Time, cost and fuel savings
Currently, 22.5% of GP visits are already delivered virtually2. For patients in outer suburban, rural and remote areas where travel to a GP can mean significant time and cost — the option to consult by video offers meaningful relief.
If appropriately eligible consultations were shifted to video, the fuel savings could be substantial. Analysis by the Healthdirect Video Call savings calculator estimates approximately 92,000 litres of fuel saved per day nationally, or more than 34 million litres per year.3
A call to GPs
“Healthdirect is encouraging GPs to review their appointment mix and consider which consultations could be safely and appropriately offered via video. Healthdirect Video Call is free to use for practices and requires no software installation.
GPs are best placed to decide when video is clinically appropriate. With fuel prices where they are, offering a video option is one of the most direct ways a practice can ease the burden on patients right now” – Bettina McMahon, CEO, Healthdirect Australia.
GPs can access Healthdirect Video Call here and estimate potential savings for their practice here.
About Healthdirect Australia
Healthdirect Australia is a national, government-funded organisation providing Australians with access to quality health information and advice. Healthdirect Video Call is a secure, browser-based video consultation platform available at no cost to health services across Australia.
1 Healthdirect Video Call data
2 https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/primary-health-care/general-practice-allied-health-primary-care
3 To estimate the potential fuel savings, we applied the following calculation. Volume of consultations x distance travelled x fuel consumption ratio. (132,000 x 6.29) x 0.111= 92,161.08
Last reviewed: July 2026