O’Connell Family Centre

NURSE-ON-CALL is a phone service that provides immediate, expert health advice from a registered nurse.

If you think your situation is an emergency, you should always call 000 or go to an emergency department at a hospital.

Call for the cost of a local call from anywhere in Victoria for health advice 24 hours a day (calls from mobile phones may be charged at a higher rate).

NURSE-ON-CALL puts you directly in touch with a registered nurse for caring, professional health advice around the clock. You may need us when:

– you or someone you’re caring for is feeling unwell
– you are not sure if you should seek medical help
– you’re away from home or situated a long way from medical help
– you simply want advice or information about health services in your area.

What happens when I call for advice?
Step 1 – a registered nurse will answer your call and collect some basic details.

Step 2 – the nurse will then ask you a series of questions about your symptoms and other issues relating to your health.

Step 3 – at the end of the call the nurse may suggest ways you can care for yourself, advise you to contact a GP or, in the event that your condition is very serious, transfer the call to 000. Note that nurses do not provide a full diagnosis of your symptoms.

NURSE-ON-CALL uses the most up-to-date health information available, giving you and your family the highest quality advice. All information you provide remains confidential and records are fully secure.

The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Line is a statewide telephone service av​ailable every day of the year for​​ Victorian families with children from birth to school age.

Maternal and child health nurses can provide information, support and guidance regarding a range of issues including child health, nutrition, breastfeeding, maternal and family health and parenting.

Parentline is a confidential and anonymous phone counselling service for parents and carers of children and teenagers in Victoria. We offer counselling, information and support around a range of parenting issues.

Lifeline is a national charity providing all Australians experiencing a personal crisis with access to 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.

What happens when you call 13 11 14
Our trained Telephone Crisis Supporters will answer your call and:

Listen to your situation
Provide immediate support
Assist to clarify options and choices available to you
Provide you with referral information for other services in your local area.
Your call will be answered as soon as possible by the next available crisis supporter. If your call isn’t answered straight away, it means we are experiencing high demand for our service and helping other Australians in need.

Please stay on the line or call back later.

If you are in immediate danger call 000.

For the cost of a local call from anywhere in Victoria. Calls from mobile phones may be charged at a higher rate.

GriefLine listens, cares and supports people experiencing loss and grief, at any stage in life.

We manage Australia’s only dedicated loss and grief national telephone counselling service. We provide anonymous support and specialist counselling services to individuals and families. All calls are confidential and are free.

Our volunteer counsellors undergo robust training and are professionally supported by GriefLine.