Child Health
Well Child telephone advice
When should I ring PlunketLine?
Ring PlunketLine on 0800 933 922 if you have child health and parenting questions or queries. For example, if you have questions about such issues as parenting, crying, sleeping, your child’s growth, development, behaviour, immunisation, breastfeeding, nutrition, oral health, safety or want to know more about the Well Child/Tamariki Ora programme.
When should I ring Healthline?
Call Healthline on 0800 611 116 if you need advice about a child of any age who is unwell or hurt, or has any symptoms of sickness. Healthline also provides a full range of telephone triage and health advice for children over five and adults.
What happens if I ring the wrong telephone advice service?
You will be transferred to the correct service. That is, if you ring PlunketLine with a query about a sick child you will be transferred to Healthline. If you ring Healthline with a parenting or child health and wellbeing query relating to a child under five, you will be transferred to PlunketLine.
Why is PlunketLine now the sole provider of telephone advice on parenting issues and child wellbeing?
Previously, both PlunketLine and Well Child Telephone Advice Service provided advice relating to well children under five. However, from 1 July, PlunketLine is the sole provider of this service.
In 2008/2009, the Ministry of Health carried out a Parent Information Project to determine the best ways to provide on-demand Well Child/Tamariki Ora information, advice and support to parents.
The Project report strongly supported the integration of Well Child information services with the face-to-face Well Child services being delivered to children and their parents in the community.
Plunket is the only national provider of Well Child face-to-face services, providing 85 percent of community Well Child programme coverage to children up to the age of four, and enrolling over 90 percent of new babies (the balance of service coverage is the responsibility of local providers funded by District Health Boards).
What will be different about PlunketLine?
The new PlunketLine service will incorporate additional functions. Well Child services will be better integrated and more responsive to individual needs for parenting support, whether identified through face-to-face contact with Well Child nurses in the community or from calls to PlunketLine.
Does the change in provider mean the Ministry was unhappy with the service provided by the Well Child Telephone Advice Service?
Not at all. This decision does not reflect on McKesson NZ Ltd’s contractual performance in delivering the Well Child Telephone Advice Service, but results from a fundamental policy change on the place of telephone advisory services to support the Well Child programme. McKesson provided the Well Child Telephone Advice Service for four years and will continue to provide Healthline under contract to the
Ministry of Health.
What are the phone numbers for PlunketLine and Healthline?
PlunketLine – 0800 933 922
Healthline – 0800 611 116
Calls to both services are free, 24 hours a day, including from a mobile phone.
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