Free out of hours online doctor service
![Dr Damian Tomic, one of Waikato DHB's online doctors]()
This service is great if a health issue arises and you want to talk to a doctor in the evening, on the weekends or in public holidays.
Sometimes your own local doctor is closed, or an after-hours service may be too far away.
Now you can contact a highly qualified New Zealand registered doctor out of normal business hours and discuss your own health issue – or that of a child or elderly parent who is dependent on you – via HealthTap on your smartphone, tablet or desktop computer.
The online doctor service is available to those signed up to the New Zealand version of HealthTap.
What is HealthTap?
HealthTap is an online platform and smartphone app. Waikato DHB has worked with HealthTap to develop a New Zealand version that gives you access to health information, advice, online consultations with hospital specialists, and an out of hours online doctor service. HealthTap supports video, voice and text chat.
About the service
- The out of hours online doctor service is available Monday to Friday 6pm to 11pm, and Saturday/Sunday and public holidays 8am to 8pm .
- It is a six month pilot from 12 September 2016.
- It is FREE *
- You can connect by video, voice or text chat.
- Our out of hours online doctors can give comprehensive advice, diagnose, and prescribe if necessary (and fax the prescription to your local pharmacy).
- If the doctor feels the online consultation is not the safest and most appropriate for you, they will advise you to attend in person at a hospital or after hours Accident and Medical Centre, or let you know that it is safe to wait until your own doctor is available.
- Notes from the online consultation are sent to the GP you are registered with so they know any action that has been taken. The notes are also available in HealthTap for you to view.
What do I need to do?
- You need to be covered by Waikato DHB services (i.e. living in the Waikato DHB health district and eligible for public health services), and over the age of 18.
- You need a 4G smartphone or a computer with broadband connection.
- You must be signed up to the New Zealand version of HealthTap.
HOW TO SIGN UP - Once you have signed up to HealthTap and logged in to the HealthTap app or HealthTap website, click on the link that says ‘Ask Docs’, then click on ‘Now’.
Follow the prompts to connect with one of our online doctors.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTION SHEET
Note: The out of hours online doctor service is starting with a 6-month trial period from mid-September 2016 to end of March 2017. You will be notified of any changes to the service at the end of the trial.
- How to sign up to HealthTap - Note: the first step is to take photo ID to our Enquiries desk at Waikato Hospital, or the main reception at any of our other hospitals at Thames, Te Kuiti, Tokoroa or Taumarunui, and ask to complete the sign up form.
- More information about our out of hours online doctor service (FAQs)
* Services on HealthTap are free. However online consultations will use up some of your data. How much data will depend on whether you connect with video, voice or text chat. We are working with telco providers to make the HealthTap app ‘zero rated’ which means that a HealthTap consultation wouldn’t eat into your data plan.
About all our Virtual DHB online services, powered by HealthTap