Mid North Coast residents will benefit from faster access to healthcare and avoid unnecessary trips to hospital with funding for the continuation of the successful MNC Virtual Care program.
Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park said the funding will ease pressure on busy public hospital emergency departments, allowing people to be safely and appropriately managed at home with the support of a team of skilled clinicians.
"The MNC Virtual Care program will ensure Mid North Coast residents get high-quality and timely access to care for conditions that can be managed outside of our hospitals," Mr Park said.
"The service will reduce preventable admissions by providing short-term care using telehealth and video conferencing technology to link patients to medical practitioners, nurses and allied health staff.
"The service means residents across the Mid-North Coast will have access to medical professionals who can deliver a range of treatments and support for non-emergency conditions, such as viral gastroenteritis or tonsilitis, from the comfort of a patients' own home."
The MNC Virtual Care team can provide rapid assessment, clinical intervention, monitoring and care navigation to patients via platforms, including NSW Health's My Virtual Care telehealth.
Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) Chief Executive Stewart Dowrick said the MNC Virtual Care service had transformed the care provided to residents across the region.
"Direct access to a multidisciplinary clinical team from the comfort of home is not only a highly person-centred care model, but it also has beneficial impacts on sustainable health care provision and reducing our collective carbon footprint," Mr Dowrick said.
MNCLHD Director Integrated Care, Allied Health and Community Services Jill Wong said MNC Virtual Care had been well received by patients, their families and staff.
"Our ability to provide much-needed access to multidisciplinary clinical care and intervention in an innovative way has seen this service be highly utilised and valued," Ms Wong said.
"The service also plays an important role in supporting our First Nations communities, with almost 10 per cent of patients identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander."
Healthy North Coast Acting CEO, Sigrid Patterson said "we have worked in close partnership with the Mid North Coast LHD to meet the needs of our community".
"The MNC Virtual Care service will help to reduce the demand on emergency departments and allow hospital resources to focus on higher-urgency and life-threatening conditions," Ms Patterson explained.
"The service will be complemented by the opening of the federally funded Coffs Harbour Medicare Urgent Care Clinic later this year."
MNCLHD commenced a dedicated virtual care program in 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing timely, accessible healthcare to people in their homes. This program has evolved and expanded over the past two years in response to the emerging community needs.
MNC Virtual Care is part of the NSW Government's two-year program investing $124 million across NSW by mid-2025.
The service will be available seven days a week between the hours of 8am to 4.30pm and patients can dial into the MNC Virtual Care program on 02 6589 2515.