Stroke patients in the Eurobodalla and Bega Valley now have 24-hour access to the NSW Telestroke Service, an innovative new telehealth service.
Telestroke offers people living in regional and rural areas increased access to life-saving stroke diagnosis and treatment. It connects local doctors to specialist stroke physicians via video consultation in the Emergency Department.
“This crucial service will provide Eurobodalla and Bega Valley residents with rapid diagnosis and treatment from the state’s expert clinicians,” says Meegan Connors, General Manager of Southern NSW Local Health District’s (SNSWLHD) Coastal Network.
“Telestroke helps Moruya Hospital and South East Regional Hospital doctors to decide the most appropriate treatment option for each patient. These options include urgent treatment to dissolve a clot locally, or urgent transfer to a specialised stroke centre for more complex treatment where appropriate.
Every year, around 19,000 residents in NSW have a stroke. More than a third of people hospitalised for stroke in NSW are from regional, remote or rural areas.
How we support telestroke
The Agency of Clinical Innovation (ACI) is proud to support local clinicians to achieve ongoing excellence in stroke care by providing innovative and accessible education resources as part of the NSW Telestroke Service roll out. The ACI is involved in:
- the statewide implementation at up to 23 regional and rural hospitals
- upskilling project officers and stroke coordinators to lead change with local clinicians
- the development of education and training materials to support sustainability of stroke awareness and local care pathways.
Clinicians involved in the NSW Telestroke Service in the Eurobodalla and Bega Valley.
Implementation of the NSW Telestroke Service is a collaboration between the Prince of Wales Hospital, eHealth NSW, ACI and the Ministry of Health. The service has helped more than 1700 patients in NSW since its launch in March 2020. It will expand to up to 23 sites across NSW by June 2022.
The NSW Telestroke Service is a $21.7 million NSW Government election commitment announced in March 2019 and jointly funded by the NSW and Commonwealth Governments.