Country health command centre marks its first year

One year on from its official launch, the WA Country Health Service's Command Centre has enabled specialist level care on country for more than 21,000 Western Australians living in regional WA.

The 24/7 virtual clinical hub is staffed by more than 140 doctors and nurses who utilise state-of-the-art videoconferencing technology to support country clinicians in the care of their patients across emergency, inpatient and mental health care.

Now operational at more than 85 hospitals and nursing posts - with five more sites to be enabled by early 2021 - the innovative hub has enabled 70 per cent of patients to avoid medical transfer and continue receiving care on country and close to home.

WA Country Health Service Chief Executive Jeff Moffet said it has also connected Western Australia's largest remote Aboriginal community - Bidyadanga - to emergency specialists for the first time.

"Plans for further expansion and support to non-WA Country Health Service sites including Silver Chain are currently underway," Mr Moffet said.  

Most recently and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, critical care doctors were also added to the list of available specialists in the command centre's Acute Specialist Telehealth Service stream.

"Work is also underway to add other speciality fields such as palliative care, obstetrics and paediatrics as well as a one-stop shop for the co-ordination of patient transfers."