NSW Telestroke Service
How we can help you
Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, hosts the NSW Telestroke Service. Our service supports hospitals in regional and remote NSW to care for people who have symptoms of stroke. This is a virtual, telehealth service, meaning our doctors provide services via telephone or videoconference.
Stroke A stroke is a serious medical emergency that occurs when there is a decrease in the blood supply to your brain and seriously affects its function. Urgent medical attention is required to prevent permanent damage or possibly death. If you are worried that you, or your family/friend is having a stroke, dial 000 immediately and ask for an ambulance.You can find the signs and symptoms for stroke in this Stroke Foundation information. |
Our service saves lives by providing immediate access to stroke specialists for urgent assessment, diagnosis and treatment. By using technology our doctors are able to work from another location to provide care in local hospitals, helping patients to stay close to home. We are able to provide this service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
This video will show you how our service works to help you if you are having a stroke.
Campus Centre Level 0
Prince of Wales Hospital
Barker Street
Randwick NSW 2031
Medical Director
Professor Ken Butcher
Operations Manager
Claire Gill
Office hours
Mondays to Fridays, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Closed weekends.
How to find our office
Our team is based at Prince of Wales Hospital, Campus Centre Level 0
(Building 16 on our campus map).
Our team includes Doctors, nurses, and people skilled in information technology, radiology and administration. Our Doctors are specialised in caring for people who experience stroke and are based in Hospitals across NSW.
We work with rural and regional referral Hospitals that have the equipment, imaging and staffing to connect with our service.
Stroke is a medical emergency. If you are experiencing a stroke you need urgent diagnosis and treatment to prevent damage to your brain. If you, or a loved one, has had a stroke, call an ambulance. The ambulance will assess you and take you to a hospital that provides stroke care.
The Emergency Department will assess you further. If they think that you have had a stroke, they may call the NSW Telestroke Service and discuss your condition with a specialist doctor. The telestroke specialst doctor will ask the hospital to order some blood tests and imaging of your brain. The specialist doctor can see these images from their location and will work with the Emergency Department team to make a diagnosis and recommend treatment. The team looking after you will talk to you about the options, and can also talk to your family.
For more information on the NSW Telestroke Service see our patient information pamphlet.
Our stroke specialists will talk with you, your support person, and the local hospital team about your diagnosis, treatment and management options. If you or your support person are not able to be consulted prior to treatment, the telestroke doctor will make a treatment decision on your behalf to avoid delays and potentially increase your chance of recovery.
An ischaemic stroke is when you have a clot blocking a blood vessel and reducing the blood (and oxygen) being carried to your brain. The aim of treatment is to remove the blockage as quickly as we can and re-establish the blood flow to your brain. Two of the treatments are:
- Thombolysis - We give you a medicine that dissolves the clot and improves the blood flow. See our fact sheet for more information.
- Endovascular clot retrieval (ECR or thrombectomy) - When a large blood vessel in the brain is blocked, a procedure to remove the clot may provide your best chance of recovery. This can occur after thrombolysis has been used. See our fact sheet for more information.
NSW Telestroke is a virtual care service available 24/7.
It gives regional & remote hospitals access to tools and specialist neurology doctors who provide expert advice about treatment. The service is being rolled out statewide to 23 regional hospitals.
Delivering state-of-the-art stroke assessment and treatment across NSW – Professor Ken Butcher
A collaborative virtual approach with treatment tailored for each patient – Dr Timothy Ang
NSW Telestroke Service – insights from patients, carers and clinicians
NSW Telestroke Service – Rachel Peake: Tamworth
Transforming local stroke services – Kelly Andersen
Helping local doctors connect with specialist diagnosis and treatment – Rachel and Ben James
Outback Eye Service
How we can help you
Our specialist team provide care for adults and children living in rural areas who have eye problems. We provide assessment, diagnosis, management and treatment, including surgery.
We visit five rural locations: Bourke Hospital, Brewarrina Hospital, Cobar Hospital, Lightning Ridge Hospital, Walgett Hospital.
Manager
Dr Michael Hennessy
Office opening hours
Monday - Friday 8.00am - 4.30pm
Our office is located
Department of Ophthalmology, Level 2, South Wing, Edmund Blacket Building, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW
Our services are provided in these locations
Bourke Hospital, Brewarrina Hospital, Cobar Hospital, Lightning Ridge Hospital, Walgett Hospital.
Our services include:
- Specialist doctor (Ophthalmologist) clinic appointments for adults and children
- Cataract surgery - A cataract causes your vision to become cloudy. Cataract surgery removes the lens of your eye and, in most cases, replace it with an artificial lens so your vision is clear.
- Oculoplastics surgery - Surgical procedures around the eye socket, eyelid, tear ducts and your face. It includes reconstruction of the eye and surrounding structures, and is used to treat a range of problems, including droopy eyelids, tumours (e.g. melanomas), and blocked tear ducts.
- Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and retinal diagnostic testing - We use diagnostic equipment to take scans of your eye. This helps us examine the health of your eye.
- Visual Field Assessments - Measures how far your eye sees in any direction without moving and how sensitive your vision is in different parts of your eye.
You will need a completed referral form from your local general practitioner (GP) or your specialist to use our services. If you need to make an appointment, please ask your doctor to email or fax us your referral form with any blood and imaging results. Please fax referrals to: 02 9382 2690 or email: WNSWLHD-OESReferrals@health.nsw.gov.au
We will review your referral and send you a letter in the mail with your appointment details.
Usual wait times may vary. An urgent referral will be seen within 4 weeks. A non-urgent referral may be seen in up to 12 months.
If you need to change or cancel your appointment, telephone 0418 322 705 or 0419 111 687.
Please let us know if you need an interpreter. You can contact us telephoning the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450. Tell the operator what language you speak and then ask the interpreter to set up a telephone conversation between you, an interpreter, and the healthcare professional you want to speak with.
Outback Eye Service
How we can help you
Our specialist team provide care for adults and children living in rural areas who have eye problems. We provide assessment, diagnosis, management and treatment, including surgery.
We visit five rural locations: Bourke Hospital, Brewarrina Hospital, Cobar Hospital, Lightning Ridge Hospital, Walgett Hospital.
Manager
Dr Michael Hennessy
Office opening hours
Monday - Friday 8.00am - 4.30pm
Our office is located
Department of Ophthalmology, Level 2, South Wing, Edmund Blacket Building, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW
Our services are provided in these locations
Bourke Hospital, Brewarrina Hospital, Cobar Hospital, Lightning Ridge Hospital, Walgett Hospital.
Our services include:
- Specialist doctor (Ophthalmologist) clinic appointments for adults and children
- Cataract surgery - A cataract causes your vision to become cloudy. Cataract surgery removes the lens of your eye and, in most cases, replace it with an artificial lens so your vision is clear.
- Oculoplastics surgery - Surgical procedures around the eye socket, eyelid, tear ducts and your face. It includes reconstruction of the eye and surrounding structures, and is used to treat a range of problems, including droopy eyelids, tumours (e.g. melanomas), and blocked tear ducts.
- Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and retinal diagnostic testing - We use diagnostic equipment to take scans of your eye. This helps us examine the health of your eye.
- Visual Field Assessments - Measures how far your eye sees in any direction without moving and how sensitive your vision is in different parts of your eye.
You will need a completed referral form from your local general practitioner (GP) or your specialist to use our services. If you need to make an appointment, please ask your doctor to email or fax us your referral form with any blood and imaging results. Please fax referrals to: 02 9382 2690 or email: WNSWLHD-OESReferrals@health.nsw.gov.au
We will review your referral and send you a letter in the mail with your appointment details.
Usual wait times may vary. An urgent referral will be seen within 4 weeks. A non-urgent referral may be seen in up to 12 months.
If you need to change or cancel your appointment, telephone 0418 322 705 or 0419 111 687.
Please let us know if you need an interpreter. You can contact us telephoning the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450. Tell the operator what language you speak and then ask the interpreter to set up a telephone conversation between you, an interpreter, and the healthcare professional you want to speak with.
Headache Clinic
How we can help you
We aim to help you if you are experiencing headaches. A headache involves pain in the head, face or neck. There are many different types of headaches. Headaches can be a common condition. Occasionally they can be a symptom of a serious medical condition. It is important with all types of headaches to get a proper diagnosis. Our specialised Doctors aim to diagnose, manage and treat your headaches.
Whilst located in the Prince of Wales Hospital this is a private service and not part of public outpatients. All new and follow up appointments will incur the scheduled fee.
If you experience sudden onset of a severe headache, visit your nearest Emergency Department or call an Ambulance on 000.
Medical Manager
A/Prof Alessandro Zagami
Clinic Opening Hours
Friday 9.30 am - 1.30 pm
To refer your patient
Visit Information for Health Professionals
How to find us
Institute of Neurological Sciences, Level 2, High Street Building, Prince of Wales Hospital (building 2 on our campus map).
We help to diagnose your headaches. We provide management and treatments if you are experiencing:
- Tension headaches
- Migraines
- Cluster headaches
- Other headaches.
Our neurology medical specialist is Associate Professor Alessandro Zagami. Professor Zagami will assess, treat and help you manage your headaches.
Our Registered Nurse will provide you education if you need injectable medication. They also coordinate clinical trials with new treatments and research into headache.
We work with your local GP, other specialists, the Headache Foundation and researchers.
You will need a referral letter from your local doctor (GP) or specialist addressed to:
A/Prof. A. Zagami
Private Headache Clinic
Prince of Wales Hospital
Level 2 High Street
RANDWICK NSW 2031
Email or fax this referral to us, along with a list of your current medications and any investigations such as MRI, CT scans etc.
Once we have reviewed your referral, we will send you a letter by post with your appointment details. If your referral is triaged as urgent, a member of our administrative team will contact you by phone.
If you need to change or cancel your appointment, please phone the clinic on (02) 9382 2422.
Our service is a private clinic so all appointments will incur a scheduled fee.
On the day of your first appointment please bring:
- Headache diary (if you use one)
- CT Brain and/or MRI Brain Scans
- Recent blood test results
- Your referral letter from your GP
- Your Medicare Card
- A list of your medicines or bring all your medicines in a bag, including any herbal or over the counter medicines
- You are welcome to bring a support person (a relative, friend or carer) with you.
If you need help with your condition, start by making an appointment with your local GP to discuss your health. If your GP needs some advice, they can telephone our specialist doctor at the clinic.
If you need a prescription, please ask your GP.
Your GP is your primary health care provider and it is important that you continue to visit them. Our specialist doctor will send a letter to your GP after every clinic appointment.
Please let us know if you need an interpreter. You can contact us by telephoning the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450. Tell the operator what language you speak and then ask the interpreter to set up a telephone conversation between you, an interpreter, and the healthcare professional you want to speak with.
We are teaching hospital and you may be asked to be involved in research. You have a right to say no. If you do so, this will not impact in any way on the services we will provide.
Migraine and Headache Australia Migraine & Headache Australia
Migraine Australia https://www.migraine.org.au
Headache Clinic
How we can help you
We aim to help you if you are experiencing headaches. A headache involves pain in the head, face or neck. There are many different types of headaches. Headaches can be a common condition. Occasionally they can be a symptom of a serious medical condition. It is important with all types of headaches to get a proper diagnosis. Our specialised Doctors aim to diagnose, manage and treat your headaches.
Whilst located in the Prince of Wales Hospital this is a private service and not part of public outpatients. All new and follow up appointments will incur the scheduled fee.
If you experience sudden onset of a severe headache, visit your nearest Emergency Department or call an Ambulance on 000.
Medical Manager
A/Prof Alessandro Zagami
Clinic Opening Hours
Friday 9.30 am - 1.30 pm
To refer your patient
Visit Information for Health Professionals
How to find us
Institute of Neurological Sciences, Level 2, High Street Building, Prince of Wales Hospital (building 2 on our campus map).
We help to diagnose your headaches. We provide management and treatments if you are experiencing:
- Tension headaches
- Migraines
- Cluster headaches
- Other headaches.
Our neurology medical specialist is Associate Professor Alessandro Zagami. Professor Zagami will assess, treat and help you manage your headaches.
Our Registered Nurse will provide you education if you need injectable medication. They also coordinate clinical trials with new treatments and research into headache.
We work with your local GP, other specialists, the Headache Foundation and researchers.
You will need a referral letter from your local doctor (GP) or specialist addressed to:
A/Prof. A. Zagami
Private Headache Clinic
Prince of Wales Hospital
Level 2 High Street
RANDWICK NSW 2031
Email or fax this referral to us, along with a list of your current medications and any investigations such as MRI, CT scans etc.
Once we have reviewed your referral, we will send you a letter by post with your appointment details. If your referral is triaged as urgent, a member of our administrative team will contact you by phone.
If you need to change or cancel your appointment, please phone the clinic on (02) 9382 2422.
Our service is a private clinic so all appointments will incur a scheduled fee.
On the day of your first appointment please bring:
- Headache diary (if you use one)
- CT Brain and/or MRI Brain Scans
- Recent blood test results
- Your referral letter from your GP
- Your Medicare Card
- A list of your medicines or bring all your medicines in a bag, including any herbal or over the counter medicines
- You are welcome to bring a support person (a relative, friend or carer) with you.
If you need help with your condition, start by making an appointment with your local GP to discuss your health. If your GP needs some advice, they can telephone our specialist doctor at the clinic.
If you need a prescription, please ask your GP.
Your GP is your primary health care provider and it is important that you continue to visit them. Our specialist doctor will send a letter to your GP after every clinic appointment.
Please let us know if you need an interpreter. You can contact us by telephoning the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450. Tell the operator what language you speak and then ask the interpreter to set up a telephone conversation between you, an interpreter, and the healthcare professional you want to speak with.
We are teaching hospital and you may be asked to be involved in research. You have a right to say no. If you do so, this will not impact in any way on the services we will provide.
Migraine and Headache Australia Migraine & Headache Australia
Migraine Australia https://www.migraine.org.au