The New South Wales state government is set to launch an online video chat service connecting people aged 16 years and over with doctors and nurses to ease hospital wait times and divert as many as 85,000 people from emergency departments each year.

Health Minister Ryan Park announced that the VirtualADULTS scheme will begin operating in December.

People with health concerns can access this service by calling HealthDirect on 1800 022 222, where a registered nurse will assess their condition, and, if appropriate, refer them to the virtual care service.

Until now, if the matter could not be resolved over the phone, the only options for the nurse were to tell the patient to book an appointment with their GP or to go to the emergency department.

HealthDirect will now be able to refer suitable cases to the new service, which will handle conditions such as coughs, colds, fevers, respiratory symptoms, vomiting and diarrhoea, minor infections, and rashes.