Ambulance Secondary Triage

Healthdirect Australia delivers a 24-hour Ambulance Secondary Triage service on behalf of the NSW Health and WA Health departments.

The Ambulance Secondary Triage service assists NSW Ambulance and St John Ambulance in Western Australia to manage Triple Zero (000) calls requesting an ambulance.

If the Triple Zero (000) operator assesses the situation may not be life-threatening but requires further assessment by a nurse, the caller is advised that an ambulance has not yet been dispatched and is transferred to the healthdirect helpline.

The call is given priority and linked directly to a healthdirect registered nurse who triages the symptoms and provides information and advice on the appropriate level of care for the situation. This connectivity between services ensures people receive the immediate support they need when they may be in distress and are not sure what to do.

The Ambulance Secondary Triage service supports the management of limited emergency resources, ensuring the availability of ambulances for the most urgent situations and appropriate healthcare for every caller.