BOOSTING TELEHEALTH FOR WESTERN VICTORIAN LOCALS

Victorians living in Western Victoria will receive more specialist medical care sooner and closer to home with a big boost to telehealth services when they’re needed most.

Five Regional and Rural Health Partnerships will see local health services in each of the regions partner with each other to support patients receiving medical care closer to home via telehealth – thanks to a big $4.5 million investment.

The investment means 11 local health services in the Barwon South Western Regional Area Health Partnership will deliver more services via telehealth.

This expansion of telehealth across the state also ensures regional Victorians can continue to keep their appointments and get the medical care they need during the coronavirus pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic has led to the widespread adoption of telehealth by doctors, nurses and allied health providers to deliver acute, chronic, primary and specialty care that does not require face-to-face services.

The use of telehealth in regional Victoria was already growing as an effective way to deliver healthcare services before the coronavirus pandemic and the Regional and Rural Telehealth Partnerships initiative means even more people living in regional Victoria will benefit.

Each region will receive a regional telehealth lead and local telehealth support officers who will train clinicians and support patients on how to use telehealth, as well as fund equipment such as webcams, computers, tablets and headsets.

The five Regional and Rural Health Partnerships benefiting from the telehealth boost are:

• Barwon South Western Regional Area Health Partnership
• Grampians Regional Area Health Partnership
• Loddon Mallee Health Network
• Hume Regional Cluster Partnership
• Gippsland Regional Area Health Partnership

Quotes attributable to Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney

“Boosting telehealth across Victoria will ensure thousands more Victorians living in regional Victoria get specialist medical care sooner – and closer to home.”

“Telehealth was already widely used in regional and rural Victoria to help people get the care they needed without a long car trip before the pandemic and it’s become a vital tool in our response – protecting doctors and their patients from being exposed to the virus.”

“We’re making it easier for locals to see a specialist because delaying that appointment can have devastating health consequences.  Please do not delay getting the care you need – it could save your life.

Regional and Rural Telehealth Partnerships: