Rural Telehealth Service

Published Wednesday, 27 February, 2013 at 11:35 AM

Minister for Health
The Honourable Lawrence Springborg

Premier Campbell Newman and Health Minister Lawrence Springborg have unveiled plans to boost health services and facilities in small country towns through the creation of a Rural Telehealth Service.

The Service – with at-call access to expertise including the best clinicians in the state - will serve small, remote communities where current difficulties in recruiting staff caused a downward spiral in health access and blowouts in health costs.

“This is a 21st century solution to a problem long regarded as impossible to solve,” Mr Newman said.

“This plan will provide reliable health services in places where they were never previously available.”

Mr Springborg described the Rural Telehealth Service as a ‘game-changer’.

“This new plan arose out of recent events in Moura and Eidsvold and previous examples under the former Government,” Mr Springborg said.

“These cases convinced me we need to change our thinking to arrest the problem of providing health support in small towns, when often the only available option was to appoint a temporary locum.

“Paying up to a million dollars a year for a succession of short-term fly-in fly out medical contractors in a single position is no way to build community support for local health services.”

Under the new service, local residents who call participating facilities – up to 24 hours a day - will access emergency staff and other clinicians at the best hospitals in the state via telehealth.

Mr Springborg said six remote trial sites to be linked to major Queensland hospitals will pioneer these new procedures in 2013.

“Already we trust telehealth to stabilize accident victims at regional centres prior to air evacuation,” he said.

“We diagnose and treat serious illnesses such as hearing problems in newborns and stroke via telehealth.

“Under the blueprint, the Rural Telehealth Service will be the mainstay of upgraded services in small centres for the first time. Standardized networking and on-site protocols will evolve as part of the trial.”

Mr Springborg said the Rural Telehealth Service would have a dramatic positive impact on the communities that volunteer to participate.

“Confidence in the quality of local treatment will be restored,” he said.

“Community confidence will follow and the downward spiral caused by concerns about local health services will be reversed.”

[ENDS] 27 February 2013

Media contact: Cameron Thompson 0407 585 230