NSW Health has marked a major milestone in its Telestroke program which provides 24/7 access to stroke diagnosis and treatment for patients in regional and rural areas of the State.
Deputy Secretary of Health System Strategy and Planning at NSW Health, Dr Nigel Lyons said the NSW Telestroke Service connected patients and local doctors with specialist stroke physicians via video consultation.
“Telestroke’s 1000th patient milestone exemplifies the world-class virtual care being delivered across the State,” Dr Lyons said.
“This vital service enables time-critical diagnosis and treatment for patients in regional and rural areas.”
He said 16 hospitals across regional and rural NSW were connected to the Service, which is expected to expand to 23 sites by June.
Dr Lyons said the Telestroke service was being implemented in collaboration with eHealth NSW, the Agency for Clinical Innovation, the NSW Ministry of Health and Sydney’s Prince of Wales Hospital.
Medical Director of the Service and Director of Clinical Neuroscience at Sydney’s Prince of Wales Hospital, Ken Butcher said the Service was an important weapon in the fight against stroke, which was one of Australia’s biggest killers and a leading cause of disability.
“Using Telestroke, clinicians harness cutting-edge technology to deliver better outcomes for patients exhibiting signs of stroke,” Professor Butcher said.
“Multi-modal imaging allows clinicians to see where the stroke is in the brain and make better clinical decisions – irrespective of a patient’s location,” he said.
