The VirtualADULTS service utilizes video conferencing technology to connect patients with a team of clinicians for assessments and expert advice. Initially operating on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. (excluding public holidays), it will later expand to daily operation from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. starting February 2025.
Statewide Coverage by 2025
VirtualADULTS will have two central hubs in metropolitan and regional NSW, serving local patients at first. By late 2025, the service will be accessible statewide. The Sydney hub will launch in December, followed by the regional hub early next year.
This initiative builds on the success of the virtualKIDS Urgent Care Service, which expanded across NSW in December 2023, providing consultations to over 10,000 children and reducing unnecessary hospital visits.
VirtualADULTS is part of a $171.4 million investment in virtual care, including services for mental health and specialist consultations, with the aim of reaching 180,000 people in their homes.
Minister Park stated, “Virtual care has made tremendous progress, accelerated in part by the pandemic. It is becoming an increasingly embraced model of care, allowing people to receive treatment from home. It is safe, effective, and convenient, and I am pleased we are making it available for adults for urgent care.”
Additional Investments in Health Services
The Minns government has allocated $100 million for urgent care services, expected to benefit 114,000 patients by providing care outside of hospitals. An additional $70 million will be used to enhance emergency department short-stay units, aiming to improve patient flow and reduce wait times by nearly 80,000 hours.
Other efforts to free up hospital beds include a $31.4 million expansion of the “Hospital in the Home” program, allowing over 3,500 more patients annually to receive care at home instead of in a hospital bed. Additionally, $53.9 million will be used to streamline patient flow and discharge planning by identifying suitable patients for discharge with necessary support.
The state government is also investing $15.1 million in an ambulance matrix that provides real-time hospital data, assisting paramedics in transporting patients to emergency departments with greater capacity and reduced wait times.
