Straight answers, including the awkward ones.

Yes. The nurse call is free and the doctor's consultation is free. There is no membership, no sign-up fee, and nothing that gets billed to you afterwards.

If a medicine is prescribed you pay the pharmacy for the medicine. You are told what that costs before anything is written, and you can say no at that point without having paid us anything.

Because cost is one of the three things stopping people getting seen, and it is the easiest of the three to remove. There is no catch, but there is a limit: we cover the consulting, not the medicine.

No. Nothing here is billed to Medicare, so not having a card, or not having it handy, does not stop you being seen.

No. There is a question on the callback form, the same one every Australian health service asks, and answering it changes nothing about what you pay. Nobody will ask you for paperwork or a certificate, and nobody will raise it on the phone.

Ring us and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right service for you. This service is set up for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, and being straight with you about that is more use than taking your call and being vague.

Not unless you want them to. Your information is protected under the Australian Privacy Principles. A note goes back to your own health service only if you say it can, and if you would rather nobody in your community knows, tell the nurse on the first call and that is the end of it.

The nurse and the doctor involved in your care, and nobody else, other than where the law requires it. We do not sell data, we do not share it with anybody's marketing, and we do not hand it to a third party.

No. A referral is useful because it means we are not starting from nothing, but you can ring us yourself. So can a family member, a health worker or anyone else ringing on your behalf.

A nurse rings and has a proper conversation with you: what is going on, what you have already tried, and what you are hoping for. It is a conversation, not a form read down the phone.

If we are not the right service, they will say so on that call, for free, and point you somewhere that fits better where we can.

Consultations run on Monday, Thursday and Friday, by video or phone. If video is hard where you are, phone is a real option and not a second-class one.

No, and any service telling you otherwise is one to be careful of. Prescribing is done under the TGA's access pathways by a registered doctor who is paid exactly the same whether they write one or not.

Yes. Family, a partner, a health worker, anyone you want in the room or on the call. Tell the nurse and it will be set up that way.

There is a real process on the complaints page, and you do not have to come through us first. You can go straight to Ahpra or to your state or territory health complaints commissioner, and we would rather you knew that than found it out later.

Do not wait on a callback from us. Ring 000 in an emergency. For 24-hour crisis support with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander crisis supporter, 13YARN is on 13 92 76.