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Telestroke service to transform stroke treatment in Broken Hill

June 09, 2022

Stroke Foundation welcomes the announcement of the New South Wales (NSW) Telestroke Service
expansion into Broken Hill saying it would transform emergency stroke treatment in the region.

Broken Hill Base Hospital is among up to 23 rural and regional NSW hospitals that are due to be included in the service's rollout.

The NSW Telestroke Service, managed by the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, speeds up diagnosis and supports regional clinicians in deciding the best care for the patient. This may include blood clot dissolving treatment or urgent transfer to a specialist stroke unit for more complex treatment.

Stroke Foundation NSW State Manager Rhian Paton-Kelly said telehealth has proven its worth time and time again in regional Australia.

“The NSW Telestroke Service is transforming stroke treatment across our state and is giving outback Australians the best opportunity to not only survive, but live well after stroke,” Ms Paton-Kelly said. “Not everyone has the benefit of living in close proximity to a specialised stroke unit, and that’s what makes the NSW Telestroke Service so important.

“Time is so critical when dealing with a stroke. When a stroke strikes, it kills up to 1.9 million brain cells per minute, but treatment can stop this damage. Time saved in accessing stroke treatment is brain saved.” A Stroke Foundation report found 189 residents from the federal electorate of Parkes were estimated to
have experienced a stroke for the first time in 2020.

Ms Paton-Kelly said the first step in ensuring better outcomes from stroke was getting to hospital quickly, and that means recognising the F.A.S.T. (Face. Arms. Speech. Time) signs and calling triple zero (000) straight away.

“I urge everyone to learn the F.A.S.T. message and share it with your friends, family and colleagues,’’ she said.

The F.A.S.T. test is a simple way we can all learn and remember the signs of stroke:
• Face: Check their face. Has their mouth drooped?
• Arms: Can they lift both arms?
• Speech: Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?
• Time is critical. If you see any of these signs call triple zero (000) straight away.


Media contact: e) media@strokefoundation.org.au