Non-life-threatening 995 calls to be redirected to medical triage helpline from June 1

SINGAPORE: From June 1, non-life-threatening 995 calls will be redirected to NurseFirst, a medical triage helpline, to help the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) prioritise timely emergency medical responses for life-threatening cases while helping public hospital emergency departments (EDs) focus their resources on patients who require urgent medical care, according to a joint statement by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of Health (MOH) on Friday (May 30).

NurseFirst, operated by Woodlands Health (WH), will provide callers with medical advice on their condition and guide them to appropriate medical care options.

It started as a pilot on Feb 4, 2022, to manage non-life-threatening cases in the Northern district. As part of the expansion, backed by MOH funding, the trial will now be islandwide for six months.

Emergency medical services (EMS) demand has climbed steadily over the years, with SCDF handling over 245,000 calls in 2024, or an average of 672 calls per day, up 57% from 2014. According to MOH and MHA, with the city-state’s ageing population and rising healthcare needs, that number is expected to keep rising.

Under the islandwide pilot, when a 995 call is assessed as non-life-threatening, SCDF will transfer the caller to NurseFirst. The nurse will then receive key patient details from SCDF, assess the caller’s symptoms, and advise on next steps — whether that’s being directed to a general practitioner (GP), calling a non-emergency ambulance, or other self-care steps.

If things take a turn and the patient’s condition deteriorates, SCDF will be notified right away to dispatch an ambulance.

The NurseFirst helpline will operate daily from 8 am to 11 pm. Outside these hours, SCDF will handle non-life-threatening 995 calls according to its current protocols.

The public can also call NurseFirst directly at 62626262 for free medical advice on non-life-threatening medical conditions.

Some non-life-threatening conditions the public can call NurseFirst for include mild to moderate cold and flu, sprains and strains, minor cuts or wounds without active bleeding, nosebleeds, headaches, diarrhoea, vomiting, minor allergic reactions, animal bites without allergic symptoms or active bleeding, resolved choking, minor burns covering less than 15% of the body, and minor eye problems like sore eyes or contact lens irritation.

SCDF and WH will monitor the pilot’s impact and effectiveness to assess its potential for extension. /TISG 

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