WA expands Emergency Telehealth service to Broome

Broome Health Campus has become the 75th site to join Western Australia’s Emergency Telehealth service, which is designed to provide access to specialist medical support in rural and remote hospitals across the state.

The ETS is now supporting more than 1400 patients per month that are using telehealth state-wide, according to WA Health Minister John Day.

He said the ETS is a “potentially lifesaving innovation” that is helping make country life better and safer.

“Local nurses and doctors in Broome now have the opportunity to quickly link to specialist support, with videoconferencing providing a ‘virtual’ emergency department,” Day said.

“The ETS ... has a track record of improving medical outcomes in the treatment of seriously injured or unwell patients [and] adds another layer of strength to an already strong medical team in Broome.”

The ETS is being funded as part of the state government’s Royalties for Regions program. It started as a pilot program at eight Wheatbelt sites in 2012 and has now expanded to 75 sites as far apart as the Kimberly and the South-West town of Collie.

Image courtesy of Cisco Australia-NewZealand under CC