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:
| Barwon South Western Regional Area Health Partnership | |
| Barwon Health | Otway Health |
| Casterton Memorial Hospital | Portland District Health |
| Colac Area Health | Southwest Healthcare (Warrnambool) |
| Hesse Rural Health Service | Terang and District Healthcare Service |
| Heywood Rural Health | Western District health Service |
| Moyne Health Services | |
| Grampians Regional Area Health Partnership | |
| Ballarat Health Service | Kyneton District Health Service |
| Beaufort & Skipton Health Service | Maryborough District Health Service |
| Djerriwarrh Health Services | Rural Northwest Health |
| East Grampians Health Service | Stawell Regional Health |
| East Wimmera Health Service | West Wimmera Health Service |
| Edenhope & District Memorial Hospital | Wimmera Health Care Group |
| Hepburn Health Service | |
| Loddon Mallee Health Network | |
| Bendigo Health | Kyabram & District Health Service |
| Boort District Health | Maldon Hospital |
| Castlemaine Health | Mallee Track Health & Community Service |
| Cohuna District Hospital | Maryborough District Health Service |
| Echuca Regional Health | Mildura Base Hospital |
| Heathcote Health | Robinvale District Health Services |
| Inglewood & Districts Health Service | Rochester & Elmore District Health Service |
| Kerang District Health | Swan Hill District Health |
| Hume Regional Partnership | |
| Albury Wodonga Health | Alexandra District Health |
| Beechworth Health | Cobram District Health |
| Benalla Health | Kilmore and District Hospital |
| Corryong Health | Kyabram & District Health Service |
| Mansfield District Hospital | Nathalia District Hospital |
| Northeast Health Wangaratta | Numurkah & District Health Service |
| Tallangatta Health Service | Seymour Health |
| Yarrawonga Health | Yea & District Memorial Hospital |
| Goulburn Valley Health | |
| Gippsland Regional Area Health Partnership | |
| Latrobe Regional Hospital | Omeo District Health |
| Bass Coast Health | Orbost Regional Health |
| Central Gippsland Health Service | South Gippsland Hospital |
| Gippsland Southern Health Service | West Gippsland Healthcare Group |
| Kooweerup Regional Health Service | Yarram and District Health Service |
