All correctional settings in New South Wales now have access to virtual care services.

The Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network has worked with Corrective Services NSW, Youth Justice NSW, and local health districts to roll out virtual care across prisons, courts, and youth justice centres in the state. 

Based on a media release, the service extends routine and specialist care to people in custody, including antenatal and palliative care, mental health and chronic disease management. The service also makes use of multipurpose medical cameras and scopes. 

WHY IT MATTERS

"Patients in correctional settings have unique needs and often worse health outcomes than those in the wider community," noted Justice Health NSW chief executive Wendy Hoey. 

As virtual care enables early disease diagnosis and treatment, it further reduces the need to transfer patients to hospitals, keeping more patients out of already busy emergency departments, Hoey emphasised.

THE LARGER TREND

Since 2021, NSW has been scaling the integration of virtual care as an alternative pathway to accessing care, guided by a five-year strategy. Last year, it completed the rollout of the NSW Telestroke Service across the entire state and announced the statewide expansion of the virtualKIDS Urgent Care Service. The Murrumbidgee Local Health District in southern NSW piloted late last year the virtual hub concept, a dedicated telehealth facility in rural communities. The Virtual Rural Generalist Service, which was first introduced in northern NSW, was also recently expanded to southern NSW.