Werribee Mercy Hospital is bringing specialist stroke care closer to home through an innovative partnership with Ambulance Victoria’s Victorian Stroke Telemedicine (VST) and Victorian Telestroke Inpatient Service (VTIS).
Together, these services create an integrated stroke pathway that allows patients to access specialist neurological care throughout their hospital journey without routinely needing transfer to a tertiary hospital.
When patients arrive at the Emergency Department with suspected stroke, specialist neurologists can assess them immediately via telehealth. The care continues throughout their admission, with inpatient neurologist reviews, coordinated multidisciplinary care and rehabilitation planning. By extending specialist support beyond the emergency phase, the service provides a seamless pathway from presentation to recovery.
This partnership demonstrates how sustainable models of care can improve patient outcomes while using healthcare resources more effectively. By reducing avoidable transfers, improving diagnostic accuracy and enabling specialist care to be delivered locally, the model enhances patient experience, improves access and equity, and builds capability within the local workforce.
The impact has been significant. In its first year, the service supported 497 emergency presentations for suspected stroke, facilitated 397 specialist telemedicine consultations and delivered 214 inpatient neurologist reviews. More patients completed their acute stroke journey at Werribee Mercy Hospital, while local clinicians strengthened their collaboration with specialist stroke services.
According to Rosie Jones and Jaspreet Sandha from the Werribee Stroke Service coordination team, patients and families have experienced the greatest benefits. Patients feel supported throughout their stroke journey and appreciate receiving care in their own community from a team they know and trust. Their families remain closer to them during treatment and recovery, reducing the disruption often associated with transfers to larger metropolitan hospitals.
The Werribee stroke service shows that sustainable healthcare is about more than reducing environmental impacts. It is about delivering the right care, in the right place, at the right time through models that improve quality, equity, efficiency and the long-term sustainability of the health system.
