Highly trained doctors and nurses can assess and treat patients virtually, arrange referrals and provide follow-up care plans for those who require them, all through a mobile device.
Sarah Climpson, from Teesdale, recently benefited from it and said she had “her mind blown” after a VVED emergency doctor addressed her medical issue via a video call from the comfort of her own house.
Sarah suffered hypoglycaemia as she was too unwell to take her usual medication due to gastro.
Upon the paramedics’ arrival, they decided Sarah needed treatment to improve her blood sugar level and reduce her nausea.
“The paramedics were incredible and said to me: ‘What we’re going to do is call a clinician in the emergency department’,” Sarah said.
“They said it’s called the VVED, and we’re going to go onto this webpage, log in and get an ED physician on the phone to have an emergency consult.
“My mind was blown — I’d never heard of this before.”
VVED is a free service that can be assessed by anyone in Victoria, thanks to a mobile device and an internet connection, via www.vved.org.au/patients
The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can treat non-life-threatening emergencies virtually without needing an emergency department.
“As a mum with two little kids, getting to the hospital can be really challenging,” Sarah said.
“Now that I know this resource is available to me, I absolutely will utilise it in the future.
“To not need to rely on getting out in the car or out in the community just adds that extra level of availability and accessibility. I think it’s absolutely incredible.”
VVED contributes to preserving 000 for genuine emergencies by minimising unnecessary ambulance dispatches for non-urgent and recurring incidents, unnecessary hospital visits, and the time paramedics spend on cases.
If a situation necessitates urgent care, VVED staff will promptly recommend seeking hospital assistance or arranging ambulance services.
