What is virtual care
Western Sydney Local Health Districts encourages their health professionals to offer virtual care in addition to face-to-face care where and when appropriate, to help meet the needs of their patients.
Virtual care has many benefits for patients, carers and health professionals. It lets patients access more services, without leaving their home or community. It is convenient and avoids travel time and costs.
- Find out more about virtual care
- Learn more about virtual care resources for Aboriginal People
Joining a virtual care consultation
You may request, or be asked to join, a virtual consultation as an alternative to seeing your clinician face-to-face, or as part of a hybrid model of care.
For more information on:
- preparing for a virtual consultation
Or more infomation on joining a :
- a virtual consultation
- a NSW Video Call consultation
- MedSync Connect consultation
- Pexip consultation
For health professionals
Benefits for clinicians
Virtual Care helps clinicians and health care teams connect with patients in different ways, as an alternative to face-to-face consultations, or as part of a hybrid model of care.
It builds stronger, more flexible clinical networks so patients can receive care that is consistent and continuous, no matter where they are.
Virtual Care delivers significant benefits for clinicians and the health system.
This includes:
- Extending the scope of practice to rural and remote communities
- Improving the clinical network with better communication and networking
- Increasing opportunity for collaboration and integration
- Providing scope for flexible service delivery models and multidisciplinary care
- Improving access to education and professional development opportunities
- Enhancing the support network for clinicians across NSW.
Western Sydney local health district uses three main virtual care platforms: NSW Video Call, PEXIP and MedSync Connect.
If you are a Western Sydney Local Health District clinician, you can request virtual care access by getting in touch with the WSLHD Virtual Care team via a generic SARA request or email WSLHD-Telehealth@health.nsw.gov.au.
If you are a health professional outside of Western Sydney Local Health District and you have been invited to join a virtual care consultation with one of our specialists and your patient, see the how to use virtual care page for more information.
The Western Sydney Local Health District Virtual Care team has developed a suite of user guides and training resources. Use these to better understand our virtual care platforms and what is considered best practice for virtual care consultations.
If you are a Western Sydney LHD clinician, visit the Western Sydney virtual care hub for clinicians for more information.
Clinics offering virtual care must nominate a staff member to act as a virtual care administrator. This is someone who can coordinate the delivery of virtual care at a clinic, troubleshoot and provide patients with knowledge and advice.
The Western Sydney LHD Virtual Care team is available to answer any queries you may have. You can also get in touch by making a generic SARA request.