In an Australian first, Ambulance Victoria is transforming stroke care by making it easier for patients to receive expert treatment without leaving their local hospital. The Victorian Telestroke Inpatient Service (VTIS) ensures that stroke patients admitted to participating hospitals have direct access to Ambulance Victoria’s team of stroke specialists and neurologists via telemedicine. This innovative model delivers timely diagnosis, tailored management, and coordinated discharge planning - all in one place. The VTIS is part of Ambulance Victoria’s broader Victorian Stroke Telemedicine (VST) service, helping doctors across the state work together to provide best-practice stroke care. Director of stroke services at Ambulance Victoria Chris Bladin said VTIS is a game-changer for hospital stroke care in regional areas. “VTIS has allowed us to extend the expert stroke care we already deliver in the emergency department into hospital ward rounds, all undertaken by telemedicine,” Professor Bladin said. Since launching at Werribee Mercy Hospital in March 2025, 118 patients have benefited from VTIS, with many of those patients having previously required ambulance transfer to a larger hospital for specialist care. The VTIS improves diagnostic accuracy, reduces duplication of services, and is cost effective for local health services. In 2023, just 35 per cent of regional stroke survivors received formal stroke unit care. Ambulance Victoria encourages Victorians to familiarise themselves with the F.A.S.T. stroke signs (Face, Arms, Speech, Time). Translated resources are available from the Stroke Foundation.
