Healthline phone service under review

File photo / Thinkstock

Health Minister Tony Ryall today celebrated 2.5 million calls to free, 24-hour health advice service Healthline - despite its future being under review.

A spokesman for Mr Ryall told APNZ the review was announced pre-election and involved Healthline, ambulance services and GPs.

Healthline's future was not under a cloud; rather, the review would look at "how all of those things are better integrated", the spokesman said.

"That doesn't mean taking one away."

Healthline is staffed by nurses who work from home, and has 96 staff.

Mr Ryall today said nearly 250,000 callers had been advised to seek emergency or other urgent care after calling Healthline with a problem in the 11 years it had been operating.

"More than 600,000 callers with less serious symptoms have been given advice on how to manage the condition at home," he said.

"One of the most unusual requests was from a pilot who had called Healthline for advice about a passenger while in the air, and then asked which runway to land on."