Rockhampton dials in to new Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Service

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Group of healthcare workers gather around a computer in a hospital clinic with two specialist doctors on the screen dialling in via telehealth
Ready for Rockhampton Hospital’s first Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Telehealth Clinic, from left: Admin support Michelle Price, Specialist Outpatient Department Registered Nurse Melissa Hulme, Telehealth Coordinator Chrissie McInally, (on screen) RBWH Director of Thoracic Medicine Dr Hervey Lau and Thoracic Medicine Specialist Dr Jon Parker, Specialist Outpatients Department Nurse Unit Manager Ann-Maree Gorman, Telehealth Admin support Fiona Feder, and Director of Clinical Investigations and Diagnostic Services Jo Wex.

Rockhampton Hospital has introduced a new Respiratory and Sleep Medicine linking local patients with specialists from Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital by telehealth.

Previously, patients needing this specialist service had to travel to Brisbane, but they’ll be able to breathe easier with the new lung and sleep clinic held two mornings a week by telehealth, and a face-to-face visit by a specialist every three months.

The clinic will see patients with conditions such as category one asthma, lung conditions such as bronchiectasis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, pleural disorders, lung cancer, and sleep disorders.

General Manager Rockhampton, Capricorn Coast and Mt Morgan Allison Cassidy said suitable patients could link by telehealth to thoracic medicine specialists in Brisbane, with their respiratory function tests done in Rockhampton by the Clinical Measurements Department.

“This is a valuable service for our patients, saving them the expense and time of travelling to Brisbane and using technology for better access,” she said.

“It has taken a large team to get this new service up and running, and I thank them for their dedication and willingness to look for improvements to support Central Queenslanders to access these specialised services closer to home.”

In Central Queensland, telehealth appointments continue to offer more care closer to home, with Central Queensland health recording 20,013 telehealth outpatient service events in the 2023-2024 year – a seven percent increase from the 18,636 events in the previous year.