Rachel Peake:
Telestroke has increased access for our rural or remote patients to expert stroke care and assessment.
I'm Rachel Peake, Stroke Care Coordinator working out of Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital, educating local GPs and spoke site staff so that we can facilitate rapid access to stroke treatments and investigations.
The hybrid model allows us to utilise the expertise of our local neurologists supported by the Telestroke team. It allows us to provide a quality 24-hour service for all stroke patients in our rural area.
The benefit of virtual care that the Telestroke project provides is the partnership between the local staff, neurologists, and the Telestroke team. And that's been a real benefit to building capacity, upskilling local staff, and also the benefits to the patients.
Anybody who is experiencing signs of stroke, any symptoms whatsoever, even if they resolve even after a few minutes, you need to get urgent assistance.
One thing you can remember is BE FAST.
B is for Balance.
E is for Eyes, if you've got any visual disturbances or problems.
F is for Face. Is there a facial droop? Asymmetry of the face?
A is for Arm. Any arm weakness or arm drift if you put your arms up.
S is for Speech. Is the speech slurred or is there any change in the speech or the quality?
Time is time to act fast. Time to call 000.
