Chief executive Kevin Mills, who started in the role in October, is working with the health service’s board and executive to implement an initiative that will give people in rural communities priority access to appointment times at the hospital – both in person and through telehealth.

Rural Northwest Health already uses telehealth services at its Hopetoun, Beulah and Warracknabeal campuses, where video cameras and monitors connect clients or medical staff with health specialists in major Victorian centres.

Warracknabeal mum Julianne Phelan has spent many hours at the Royal Children’s Hospital with her son Charlie, who was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type one in 2012. 

The condition causes tumours to grow on nerves throughout the body.

Related: Warracknabeal community on the march for NF awareness

“It’s very hard being away from medical staff and support staff as it can be difficult to get them on the phone or email if you need to speak to them, especially when your child has a condition that people locally are not familiar with,” Mrs Phelan said.

“Priority appointments would be fantastic as it would cut down the waiting time.

“When we are down at the hospital, sometimes you can be in the waiting room for two to three hours, which takes its toll on the patient and the family as it causes a lot of angst.

“We use telehealth already but I just do that at home, which is easier. I only use telehealth for two of our specialists, but not all the time though.”

Mrs Phelan said though securing appointments for Charlie had not been too difficult because they worked with a support worker, the family found it far harder to make an appointment for their daughter Grace.

“Grace was referred to the Royal Children’s about two years ago for a muscle problem in her neck, and they kept sending us text messages to say that we were still on the list but we have never been seen,” she said.

“Grace has now turned 18, so our doctor has to refer us somewhere else. I find that if you are in the system already it is a lot easier.

“I do also find that, as we have a team of specialists for Charlie, we usually have to go down more regularly as they all consult on different days and appointments don't always co-incide with each other. 

“If we could have our appointment over a few days it would make it easier than sporadically like they are.”

Mrs Phelan said she would love if Rural Northwest Health could also secure a pediatrician to visit on a monthly basis, to save families from having to travel.

Other projects on the organisation’s radar include advocating to Western Victoria Primary Health Network to allow social workers and other counsellors to refer patients directly to primary mental health services.

Currently, referrals must come from a general practitioner.

The organisation is also continuing its work with Edenhope and District Memorial Hospital, West Wimmera Health Service and West Wimmera, Hindmarsh and Yarriambiack shire councils to establish a mental health rural outreach program.

It hopes to also expand its well-being model YCHANGe and other community health initiatives.

YCHANGe started in 2015 and aims to help people make healthier choices that in turn lead to a reduced number of avoidable hospital admissions.