Who We Are
We are a not-for-profit co-operative after hours medical sevice. We are owned by the members, who are local GPs in Wollongong and Shellharbour areas. Radio Doctor Illawarra bulk bills patients who have a Medicare or Veterans Affairs card, but conditions apply. All calls are taken by our professional call centre which specialises in after hours medical consultation.
We are accredited by Australian General Practice Accreditation Limited (AGPAL), which means we meet rigorous national standards for health care quality and safety. Radio Doctor Illawarra is also recognised as an Accredited Medical Deputising Service .
We take pride in our provision of after hours health care in the Illawarra however we don’t act as an emergency service or treat serious cuts or wounds or provide S8 drugs. To read more about our service, please see:
OUR HISTORY
Radio Doctor service originated in the Illawarra 1974 after a meeting of six local GPs who were concerned about providing quality after hours care for their patients. The service has grown to provide after hours care on behalf of 280 doctors and now provides after hours health care for patients every night, weekend and public holiday from the Seacliff Bridge (starting at Scarborough) in the north to Kiama in the south.
WHY ARE WE CALLED RADIO DOCTOR?
When we started in 1974 there were no mobile phones. To conduct our home visits, we drove a Holden HQ and the doctors would stop at a service station or phone box (remember them) and call the office (base) to find out if there were any more patients to visit. In 1975, the cars had two way radios installed so the Doctors could more easily communicate with the base and other vehicle. So the name ‘Radio Doctor’ comes from those early days when we used two way radio for some of our communications.
Need After Hours Medical Care?
Monday-Friday From 6pm
Saturday From 12pm-Monday 8am
Sunday 24 Hours
Public Holiday 24 Hours
Phone
Call Us: (02) 4228 5522
