Background: The 'after hours GP helpline' was added to the existing 24-hour nurse triage and advice lines in Australia in July 2011. Its objective is to improve access to GP advice in the after-hours period.
Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the user profile of an after-hours primary care helpline during its first two years of operation, including age, gender, location and relative socioeconomic advantage of users.
Methods: The study undertook a retrospective review and descriptive analysis of the use and user characteristics during a two-year period in 2011-13.
Results: The service handled more than 300,000 calls in the study period. It was well used by parents of young children, women, those living in remote areas and those who identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. Older people and rural residents were proportionally lower users of the service. All socioeconomic rankings were represented, with highest call rates in less advantaged areas.
Discussion: Targeted promotion may assist high-need groups to benefit from after-hours telephone-based primary care advice when face-to-face GP services are unavailable.