Blue Mountains and Lithgow Hospital have launched the NSW Telestroke Service. Neapean Blue Mountains Local Health District implemented the service with the Agency for Clinical Innovation, Prince of Wales Hospital, eHealth NSW and the Ministry of Health.
The service helps people like Dawn in rural or regional NSW who have a stroke.
Dawn’s story
75-year-old Dawn is very active and lives near Taree in the Manning Valley.
Dawn was at her regular art class when friends noticed that her words were jumbled when she spoke. They suspected she was having a stroke and immediately drove her to Manning Base Hospital in Taree.
At the hospital, Dawn was triaged and assessed for the NSW Telestroke Service by the local staff. Professor Ken Butcher, located at Prince of Wales Hospital, in Sydney, virtually assessed Dawn and prescribed her clot busting medicine to treat the stroke.
By that evening Dawn’s speech had returned to normal and she was feeling much better.
Dawn is extremely thankful for the NSW Telestroke Service and all the care she received.
“Within minutes of arriving at hospital I was with the local stroke team who were fantastic, and I was able to see and talk to the Telestroke Neurologist based in Sydney, which was very reassuring,” said Dawn.
Dawn is now back living an active life – walking, swimming, playing croquet and spending time with family and friends.
“If I hadn’t received this care my life would be very different right now. Telestroke provides marvellous support for people in regional locations.”
More about stroke
Stroke is an emergency. If you think you are having a stroke, call 000.
The F.A.S.T. test as an easy way to remember the most common signs of stroke. Using the F.A.S.T. test involves asking these simple questions:
- Face Check their face. Has their mouth drooped?
- Arms Can they lift both arms?
- Speech Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?
- Time Is critical. If you see any of these signs call 000 straight away.