The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) and Nurse-On-Call (NOC) have collaborated to support more patients to receive the care they need at home, helping to avoid unnecessary trips to the emergency department.

Since the collaboration’s inception in August 2023, nearly 20,000 NOC callers, who would have previously been advised to attend an emergency department, have instead been redirected to the VVED and assessed from home. More than 80 per cent of these cases have been successfully managed via video consult, therefore reducing physical attendances across emergency departments in Victoria by over 16,000.

The collaboration arose from co-design sessions with consumers, executives and clinicians aiming to streamline healthcare-seeking behaviours across Victoria. Workshops identified that 11,000 paediatric callers reached out to NOC every month, and through phone-based triage, 27 per cent were advised to attend their nearest emergency department via a private vehicle.

An opportunity was recognised to redirect these patients to a virtual assessment, enabling more timely review and potentially avoiding a trip to the emergency department altogether. A paediatric pathway commenced in August 2023 as a trial, with 89 per cent of NOC patients managed at home, with a high patient satisfaction rate of 95 per cent. The paediatric success led to the expansion to adult patients in November 2023.

The VVED has seen over 9,000 children via the NOC pathway, with 84 per cent respectively avoiding an emergency department. Since inception, the average wait time to see a VVED clinician is 13 minutes, quicker than most families can travel to their nearest hospital.

Children presenting with conditions such as gastroenteritis, head injury, and viral infections now receive early management and support at home. Adult referrals have a broad range of chief complaints, including chest pain, abdominal pain, infections and bone injuries. More than 10,000 adults have been through this pathway, with 76 per cent of adults able to be managed in the community.

The VVED and NOC partnership also allows patients who need escalation in care and ambulance transport to be quickly identified.

“This partnership has been a critical first step in building a digital front door in Victoria, one where patients have a simple way to access the right care in the right place at the right time,” said Dr Loren Sher, Director, VVED.

“Together, this partnership is revolutionising the way Victorians can receive healthcare, ensuring every Victorian, regardless of age and geographical location, can receive the same access to high quality urgent care around the clock.”