1. From 1 June 2025, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and Woodlands Health (WH) will pilot a nation-wide trial to refer non-life-threatening 995 calls to a medical triage helpline. This helpline, known as NurseFirst, will provide medical advice on a caller’s medical condition and guide callers to appropriate medical care options.
2. Supported by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of Health (MOH), the nation-wide pilot will enable SCDF to prioritise timely emergency medical response to those facing life-threatening emergencies, and public hospital Emergency Departments (ED) to focus their resources on patients who require urgent medical care.
Management of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Calls
3. The demand for EMS has been increasing rapidly over the years. In 2024, SCDF responded to 245,279 EMS calls – an average of 672 calls per day, a 57% increase from 2014. With Singapore’s ageing population and rising healthcare needs, EMS calls are expected to continue increasing.
4. Over the years, SCDF has progressively rolled out various initiatives to actively manage the increase in EMS calls and ensure emergency ambulances are available to serve those in critical need. [Refer to
Annex A (PDF,104 KB) for a list of the past initiatives to cope with rising demand for EMS.]
5. SCDF has been exploring linking up with a triage helpline that can assess the individual’s condition and redirect non-life-threatening cases to alternative care options. This will enable SCDF to reduce conveyances to EDs, and focus SCDF and hospitals’ resources on life-threatening cases, such as patients experiencing cardiac arrest or severe breathing difficulties. Similar helplines are in use in various countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan, Denmark and Finland.
NurseFirst Helpline
6. Operated by WH, NurseFirst began as a medical triage helpline pilot on 4 February 2022 for the management of non-life-threatening cases in the Northern district, to reduce ED attendances by guiding callers to appropriate alternative care sites. The pilot was supported with funding from MOH.
7. As an expansion of the pilot, the NurseFirst helpline will widen its coverage to serve callers island-wide for six months. Trained nurses, with medical oversight from emergency medicine physicians, will assess callers based on their symptoms, and advise those with non-life-threatening conditions on the various appropriate alternative care options nearest to them.
Transfer of Non-life-threatening 995 Calls to NurseFirst
8. When a 995 call is assessed [1] to be non-life-threatening, SCDF’s Operations Centre will transfer the caller to the NurseFirst helpline for further assistance. The caller may be directed to an appropriate care provider, such as a general practitioner. Other follow-up actions could include advising the caller to call for a non-emergency ambulance, as well as other self-care steps.
9. Before transferring the call, the SCDF call-taker will share key patient details with the nurse at NurseFirst. This ensures a seamless transition for the caller. At any time during the call with the nurse at NurseFirst, if the patient’s condition deteriorates, SCDF will be immediately notified to dispatch an ambulance.
10. The NurseFirst pilot will operate from 8:00am to 11:00pm daily. Outside of these hours, if a 995 call is assessed to be non-life-threatening, SCDF will deal with it according to its current protocols.
11. The public is also encouraged to call the NurseFirst helpline directly at 62626262 for non-life-threatening medical conditions, to receive timely medical advice at no cost. Refer to
Annex B (PDF, 37 KB) for examples of non-life-threatening conditions.
Looking Ahead
12. The nation-wide pilot is expected to run for six months. SCDF and WH will monitor its impact and effectiveness to assess its potential for extension.
