Queensland’s newly launched pilot in Hervey Bay has already treated almost 100 patients and the service is to be rolled out across the state.
Hervey Bay Hospital has been chosen as the first site to pilot Queensland’s new Telestroke Service – and the move has already had an impact.
Since its launch late last year, nearly 100 patients have been treated by the service, nine of whom received emergency treatment with clot busting drugs. Two were transferred to Brisbane for emergency clot retrieval procedures.
The statewide service will eventually support some two million Queenslanders who live in regional, rural and remote areas.
The service enables time-critical specialist assessment, diagnosis and effective treatment for stroke patients. Rapid diagnosis and treatment have been proven to improve quality of life and reduce their risk of long-term disability.
It also accelerates access to highly effective stroke therapies, such as clot dissolving drugs or clot retrieval procedures which require access to a stroke specialist.
Hervey Bay Hospital has piloted the service which will be rolled out at additional hospitals across the state this year.
Queensland Telestroke clinical director Dr Claire Muller said there are currently gross inequities in access to stroke specialist care across Queensland.
“This service is exclusively for Queenslanders who live in regional, rural and remote locations and we anticipate helping up to 2000 people each year,” she said.
“A key element of this service is upskilling frontline workers in regional, rural and remote hospitals, ensuring a safe, high quality, sustainable service for many years to come.
“There is no doubt that other regional, rural and remote hospitals and their communities will benefit from the continued roll out of the Queensland Telestroke Service.”
The Queensland government is investing $5.8 million each year to develop the service to ensure people in regional, rural and remote areas have the same access to stroke specialists as metropolitan communities.
Doctors and nurses at Hervey Bay Hospital underwent intensive training in care for stroke patients before the service launched, with additional hospitals to be added to the service later this year.
It is estimated that more than 5000 Queenslanders will experience a stroke for the first time each year. People living in non-metropolitan areas are 17% more likely to experience a stroke than their metropolitan counterparts.
Despite this, these communities have less access to specialist diagnosis and treatment, making them more likely to have worse health outcomes.
Queensland health and ambulance minister Tim Nicholls said the Telestroke Service would be a gamechanger in the diagnosis and care that stroke patients receive.
“It is about supporting our local health heroes to be able to continue to do the incredible work they do, helping their local communities every day,” he said.
“All Queenslanders deserve access to world class healthcare, no matter where they live.”
Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service chief executive Debbie Carroll said accelerating access to life-saving treatments like clot-dissolving drugs and clot retrieval procedures would give stroke patients the best chance at a full recovery.
“Our hard-working local teams at Hervey Bay Hospital are committed to providing high standards of care, and we are proud to be the first pilot site for this exciting initiative,” she said.
Telestroke services are also operating in other states of Australia, including NSW and South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia.