What is Virtual Care?

Virtual care can be provided without you needing to visit your general practice in person. It is sometimes referred to as telehealth, virtual healthcare, or e-consultations.

For many of your health and wellbeing concerns a doctor or nurse can provide the care and support you need virtually. This can be by securely messaging your care team via your patient portal, emailing, speaking on the phone, or having a video chat.

Telehealth consultations are generally scheduled ahead of time. Your practice can help walk you through this process if you are unsure.


How could Virtual Care benefit me?

A key advantage of virtual care is the time it saves you travelling to and from appointments. You could also schedule your appointment from home or work which may make it easier to balance getting the care you need with the other demands in your life.

This can provide you with faster access to care and shorter wait times. If you live rurally on the West Coast this means you can remain close to home, making your healthcare appointment more convenient and reducing travel.


How can I access Virtual Care?

Ka Ora Telecare

Kā Ora Telecare provides people living in rural areas with a quick and easy solution to connect with a healthcare professional for after hours medical advice and treatment.


How does it work?

The service is open 5pm to 8am (evening and overnight) on Weekdays, and 24 hours in Weekends and Public Holidays. You can connect with the Kā Ora Telecare team by:

Calling 0800 2 KA ORA (0800 252 672)

You will first be greeted by a Kaiawhina or a Nurse. The team will assess your health needs, and you can either see a Clinician directly or you may also choose to schedule an appointment later in the evening.

Booking an Appointment online through the ‘Book Appointment’ button for Ka Ora.

Available from 5pm to 10pm weekdays and 8am to 10pm weekends and public holidays. By booking an appointment, you will have a specific appointment time to connect directly with the medical team over phone or video.

If you need an urgent appointment after 10pm, please directly call the 0800 2 KA ORA number to connect with the overnight team.


In person visits are still safe

Many practices adopted virtual care as a response to COVID-19. But please rest assured your practice is a safe place for you to visit. Practices have adopted many new infection control protocols for your protection.

Healthline provides a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week over-the-phone health service where you can call for free health advice, information and treatment from professional healthcare providers.