Western Australia’s innovative virtual emergency department has expanded to a 24/7 service, just in time for the summer holidays.
The WA Country Health Service’s Emergency Telehealth Service (ETS) – increasingly seen nationally and internationally as a model for virtual emergency health care – is now available around-the-clock from its 78 rural and remote locations.
The service acts like a virtual emergency department, with specialist emergency medicine doctors available by video call to support local doctors and nurses in providing high-quality emergency care.
People living in or travelling to these small communities across the State will be able to access care locally and, in the event of an emergency, have access to support from expert clinicians in Perth when required.
The ETS started in 2012 to support doctors and nurses to provide emergency care in nursing posts and small hospitals in rural and remote locations.
It is available across the State and has supported more than 58,000 emergency cases since it began, and now deals with about 300 cases a week.