Access to virtual emergency care in Queensland enabled by Symptom Checker
Published: 19 August 2025
Queensland-based users of the healthdirect Symptom Checker are the first in Australia to be able to access a virtual emergency care service via the online tool.
The Symptom Checker refers users directly to Queensland’s Virtual Emergency Care Service (VECS) if they need it based on the health information they enter. This reduces the demand for face-to-face care, supporting the Queensland health system.
Launched in July 2024, this pathway has improved the experience for Queenslanders, including those living in rural areas who may not have easy access to emergency care. 25,000 Queensland consumers use the healthdirect Symptom Checker each month, with more than 7,000 offered the VECS care pathway based on the acuity of their symptoms.
The peak time consumers use the Symptom Checker and choose VECS is 6pm to 9pm. The availability of this virtual service means they can access emergency care in the after-hours from the comfort of their home. This can be especially helpful for parents and carers with young children.
Petra Milnes, General Manager, Service Delivery and Engagement at Healthdirect Australia says, “The healthdirect Symptom Checker gives consumers the freedom of a self-guided triage and advice and access to the most appropriate care option when and where they need it.”
VECS clinical nurses help consumers avoid an unwanted journey to a hospital emergency department via a video consultation.
Symptom Checker recommends the right care at the right time
After completing the self-guided triage via Symptom Checker, consumers receive care recommendations based on their symptoms. These recommendations may include advice to seek emergency care, book an appointment with a GP, visit the pharmacist or to stay at home and recover if it’s safe to do so.
Enhancements to the Symptom Checker, including the introduction of an AI-driven clinical decision support system, ensure the most appropriate care is recommended at the right time. In Queensland, this now includes an option for VECS for users experiencing urgent but non-life-threatening symptoms.
Approximately 73% of Queensland-based Symptom Checker users who are advised to “go to ED” are are now recommended VECS as the most appropriate care pathway.
The Symptom Checker is intuitive and only recommends VECS to users when it is appropriate and available, since VECS is not open 24/7.
VECS is also a new care pathway for those assessed as needing to “see a GP in 2hrs” or “in 24 hours” when access to physical primary care services is limited, providing more care options for consumers such as those in rural and remote areas of Queensland.
You can read more on how healthdirect and VECS can scale to meet demand here (Opens in new tab).
The healthdirect Symptom Checker now offers access to the virtual emergency care service for Queenslanders.
Last reviewed: August 2025