What’s Happening?
Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service (CQHHS) is rolling out a new telesurgery platform across three hospitals—Rockhampton, Gladstone, and Emerald. Provided by Teladoc, the technology allows clinicians to virtually “scrub in” and provide real-time surgical assistance, addressing barriers in surgical access and expertise.
CQHHS began trialling the system with Teladoc late last year, building on its five-year journey of integrating telehealth and virtual care technologies. The initiative follows CQHHS’s pandemic-driven development of 24/7 videoconferencing between Emerald and Rockhampton Hospitals.
Why It Matters?
The platform is designed to provide vital support to clinicians in regional areas and to improve patient outcomes by reducing unnecessary transfers and delays.
“The most exciting thing about this is clinicians feeling supported,” said Christina McInally, telehealth coordinator and clinical nurse consultant at CQHHS. “They have someone to call and know that what they are doing is the right thing. They can learn from others, whether that is an urgent situation, a supervision, or education—it’s that collegial support.”
Dr Andrew Scott, rural generalist and clinical director of Capricorn Coast Hospital, added: “Having the knowledge that any clinician could dial in to support a colleague and say, ‘I’m going to be here for you, let’s get the patients cared for there,’ means the clinicians are doing more and feeling more valuable to the local community.”
Implementing the technology wasn’t without challenges. “Surgeons like their hands in and on things, touching things,” McInally admitted. “We have to convince them that it’s okay that you can’t see, hear, or feel anything or put your hand in a wound full of blood and feel what’s going on in there, that you can just talk [the team] through.”
Local Impact
The platform is expected to significantly reduce the need for medical professionals to travel between hospitals and lower patient transfer rates.
“The patient and family could avoid travel over several days and all the potential consequences that come from that. And as a result, there is a hospital that’s not bed-blocked,” explained Dr Scott.
He further noted: “If we can provide care in flexible and innovative ways, the patients will get the care sooner and are more likely to actually receive it, as opposed to them just not going in and then coming in later with advanced disease.”
McInally emphasised its workforce benefits: “It is very hard to keep our workforce in a regional, rural area. A lot of hours, a lot of work, a lot of knowing stuff on your own. But people who know they have that [virtual] support will go a long, long way.”
By the Numbers
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4,500+ staff work across CQHHS’s four hospitals, 14 health centres, and two residential aged care facilities.
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3 hospitals—Rockhampton, Gladstone, and Emerald—will implement the new telesurgery platform.
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5+ years CQHHS has been using telehealth and virtual care technologies, including 24/7 videoconferencing since the pandemic.
Zoom In
Beyond real-time surgical assistance, the platform will enhance training for surgical residents and trainees by enabling them to observe complex procedures through livestreaming and interactive features. It also supports streamlined proctoring and credentialling processes for hospital site accreditations.
“The platform supports accelerated learning and training certification,” CQHHS noted. Clinicians will gain valuable learning experiences without needing to travel.
Zoom Out
The telesurgery initiative aligns with CQHHS’s 2030 transformation strategy, which envisions seamless digital access to information and services.
CQHHS has already launched several complementary telehealth programs:
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Rockhampton Hospital introduced telehealth services last year connecting patients to Brisbane-based respiratory and sleep specialists, and a separate post-surgery support service.
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Emerald Hospital launched a paediatric behaviour telehealth clinic last year.
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During the pandemic, CQHHS implemented 24/7 videoconferencing between Emerald and Rockhampton Hospitals to provide urgent specialist care.
What To Look For Next?
CQHHS will closely monitor the implementation of the telesurgery platform in Rockhampton, Gladstone, and Emerald. The outcomes will inform future decisions on wider adoption across CQHHS’s healthcare network. The focus will be on improving surgical outcomes, reducing patient transfers, enhancing workforce retention, and accelerating clinical education.
