How it works

Call takers from the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) provide primary triage for emergency calls and refer suitable calls to the team of paramedics and registered nurses at the Call Referral Service.

These health professionals provide secondary triage and, using 411 clinical guidelines, determine the most appropriate course of action for the caller.

This may include sending an ambulance, nurse or locum doctor, instructing the caller to attend an emergency department, GP or health care provider, and providing self-care advice.

Secondary triage usually takes about 11 minutes, with serious conditions managed within the first 90 seconds of the call.

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