The ACT and NSW governments are trialling a ''telehealth'' system that uses video technology to allow Canberra doctors to give clinical consultations to critically ill patients in southern NSW.
The project is the second agreement on health to be announced by the two governments in the past month and follows last month's launch of a surgical trial giving Canberra doctors and patients access to Queanbeyan Hospital.
The telehealth project will link patients at Queanbeyan, Moruya, Batemans Bay and Cooma hospitals with staff at Canberra's emergency department and the rescue helicopter base.
The system will allow senior clinicians in Canberra to assess patients at the remote sites and decide if they require an emergency transfer from Snowy Hydro SouthCare.
Chief Minister Katy Gallagher said yesterday the system may be extended to other centres and departments after a six-month trial.
Ms Gallagher said it had taken 12 months to secure the pilot scheme, which she announced with the NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner.
''We're looking at a regional health service, which is something that Jillian and I are very keen on doing, and we've had some progress with Queanbeyan Hospital in the last couple of weeks,'' she said. ''This builds on that.''
Canberra Hospital clinical director of emergency Michael Hall said the system would allow senior Canberra staff to offer their expertise to smaller sites where junior doctors often worked without much support from senior clinicians.
''This enables them to get us to dial in to look at the patient, at times to talk to the patient, to help get X-rays, and imaging and the observations and decide does the patient need any change of treatment now, do they need to come to Canberra Hospital and, if they do need to come, do we put them in the road ambulance or do we need to use the helicopter,'' he said.
''I think it's fantastic and it's what we should be doing more of.''
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Lisa Cox
Quelle/Source: The Canberra Times, 01.09.2012
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