Even more relief for UKBB emergencies: Medgate Kids Line is no longer a chargeable 0900 number

Easter is just around the corner - but the long, work-free weekend can quickly become a stress test for parents. What should I do if my child hurts themselves while playing and won't stop crying? Or if they are lying in bed with a high temperature? If your own paediatric practice is not available over the holidays, many parents are faced with uncertainty: Is a visit to the emergency ward necessary or excessive?

Fast medical help by phone

In cases like these, the UKBB Kids Line offers quick and uncomplicated help: the advice hotline for paediatric and adolescent emergencies provides parents with expert medical information around the clock, 365 days a year. The service has recently undergone a significant improvement, as the UKBB Kids Line now operates via the landline number 058 387 78 82 and no longer via the chargeable payline.

The changeover to the 058 number brings various advantages for parents making calls: The telephone charges (CHF 3.23/min.) will no longer apply, treatments can in future be billed via the basic insurance or, depending on the insurance and model, are even completely free of charge, and the Kids Line can now also be easily reached from business mobile phones, where 0900 numbers are often blocked.

After Medgate's expert assessment, only a quarter of all callers have to go to the emergency ward

The Kids Line is operated by the Swiss telemedicine provider Medgate in cooperation with 13 hospitals and medical centres in Switzerland. Around 65,000 calls are received every year. The service relieves the burden on paediatric emergency departments considerably - around 55% of all calls can be dealt with conclusively over the phone or by video, while 20% are referred to a physical service provider (paediatrician, specialist). Only 25 per cent actually have to visit an emergency ward.

More "doctor time" for young patients

"The Kids Line relieves our emergency ward considerably. Its paediatric specialists assess competently and reliably which children and adolescents actually need to go to the UKBB emergency ward. In many cases, callers can be treated exclusively by telemedicine, which means they can avoid long waiting times when the emergency ward is busy," explains Michel Ramser, Medical Director of the emergency ward at UKBB.

One of the main aims of Kids Line is to relieve the pressure on emergency structures, as Claudine Blaser, Managing Director at Medgate Switzerland, explains: "Emergency structures in Switzerland are coming under increasing pressure. Medical telemedicine is an important addition here. It not only offers added value for young patients, who don't have to go to the emergency ward, but also for the healthcare system as a whole. The fact that parents no longer have to pay for this important service themselves via a payline, but can bill it via their health insurance, is a great benefit for families.