Helping Rural Patients Get Home Safely Royal North Shore Hospital is the pilot site for a new NSW Government initiative aimed at helping rural and regional patients return home safely after hospital care, by improving awareness of the NSW TrainLink network. Delivered in partnership with Transport for NSW, the pilot provides patients with clear information about train or coach travel following treatment.
for patients travelling long distances. “Many rural patients experience uncertainty about how they will get home after treatment,” he said. “This pilot is about making that journey clearer, safer and less stressful, while also supporting better patient flow and sustainability.” RNSH was selected as the pilot site due to its role as a tertiary referral hospital, with patients frequently travelling from regional areas for specialised care. “The pilot has been really successful so far,” he said. “We have met our targets for staff education and resource distribution, with strong engagement from nursing, allied health, patient flow teams and social workers.” The initiative, delivered locally by the RNSH Discharge Patient Flow Concierge team, also aims to reduce car use, free up hospital resources and improve health equity. Lessons from the pilot will inform potential expansion to other NSW hospitals.
Resources include printed brochures in key wards and digital information sent to eligible patients via the Digital Perioperative Pathway app. Transport for NSW employee Eleanor Raftery was inspired to develop the program after experiencing emergency cardiac treatment near her home in Sydney. She saw firsthand the challenges rural patients face in planning their journey home and pitched the idea through Transport’s staff innovation program to raise awareness of TrainLink as a travel option after hospital care. Shakti Gurung, RNSH Discharge Improvement Officer, said the project focuses on equity, access and smoother discharge experiences
Transport for NSW and RNSH staff united for the pilot program
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