Telehealth links help overcome resources shortfall in South Australian Country Health's 64 hospitals

The South Australian Telehealth network was used widely for country patients needing psychiatry and cardiology consults,

A Telehealth video conferencing network brought instant extra expertise to Country Health South Australia’s 64 regional and remote hospitals spread across the state in the 21st century. As part of the network, the South Australian Virtual Emergency Service (SAVES) operated in 16 regional hospitals.

The Telehealth network was used widely for country patients needing psychiatry and cardiology consults, while virtual clinical care is provided to country patients with chronic disease.

South Australian Virtual Emergency Service (SAVES) linked doctors with patients and their local health workers in country emergency departments via the existing Telehealth video conferencing.

GPs at the Rural Doctors Workforce Agency site in Adelaide provided remote medical assistance to triage category three, four and five patients who presented to their local emergency department when the resident GP is unavailable between 11pm and 7am.

SAVES was used at on-call doctors’ discretion in 16 emergency departments, including Cleve, Cowell, Cummins, Elliston, Kimba, Streaky Bay, Wudinna, Karoonda, Lameroo, Meningie, Pinnaroo, Tailem Bend, Strathalbyn, Laura, Hawker and Quorn.

In a sector often battling for resources, South Australian country centres gained extra health services through advances such as mobile dialysis units and telehealth. Other improvements in 2017-18 included:
• Clinically suitable patients access to stroke reperfusion (clot-dissolving) services 24 hours a day, seven days a week at Mount Gambier and Districts Health Service, Riverland General Hospital (Berri) and Whyalla Hospital and Health Service.
• Regional health training hubs in Mount Gambier and Whyalla to address doctor shortages in country areas. They worked with Flinders and Adelaide universities to create pathways for young doctors to live, train and work in the country.
• Adelaide Hills residents access to an on-site emergency doctor 24 hours a day at the Mount Barker District Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital, with state government funding of $800,000.
• The $10 million Southern Fleurieu Health Service brought the South Coast District Hospital, Victor Harbor Private Hospital, radiology and pathology departments together.
• Pharmaceutical services on the Eyre Peninsula enhanced by the $950,000 pharmacy at Port Lincoln Hospital. Added to a $40 million redevelopment of Port Lincoln Health Service.

Local community fundraising filled shortfalls in government funding. Some examples:
• Maitland Hospital’s expanded haemodialysis unit allowed more people to receive lifesaving treatment closer to home. There were  57 haemodialysis chairs in units at Berri, Ceduna, Clare, Gawler, Maitland, Mount Gambier, Murray Bridge, Port Augusta, Port Lincoln, Port Pirie, Victor Harbor and Whyalla.
•A $500,000 two-bed palliative care unit at Port Pirie Regional Health Service was jointly funded by the state government and the community via the local health advisory council. Local charities, the Melisa Ward Foundation and the Beau #0442 fundraising team were significant supporters and fundraisers.