Healthline has a dedicated 0800 number specifically for health-related calls about coronavirus.

Healthline has translators and interpreters available 24/7 in 150 languages including Mandarin and Cantonese.

Anyone can call Healthline free for health advice and information, anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Healthline is funded by the Ministry of Health and provided by Homecare Medical.

What happens when you call Healthline?

You‘ll speak to a friendly, knowledgable person who will ask you questions about the condition or illness you’re calling about.

• From your answers, they assess symptoms and make a recommendation for the best thing to do.
• That might be to see a doctor or go to hospital straight away.
• If it’s less serious, they can tell you how to take care of yourself – or the person you’re ringing about – at home.

The Healthline team also have access to an extensive database of health providers to point callers to. They can tell callers where to find their nearest after-hours GP service, hospital emergency department, pharmacy, out-of-hours dental surgery etc.

Who provides the advice?

Healthline is staffed by an experienced team who have worked in many different places – including in GP surgeries and hospitals, and for ambulance services. They include nurses, paramedics, health advisors and other health workers.

They use their clinical experience to advise callers on the best thing they can do for their condition or illness.