Another health board to run telemedicine trial

A TELEMEDICINE initiative first piloted in the NHS Grampian area is now to be trialled in Perthshire by NHS Tayside, it was revealed yesterday.

It involves the establishment of an out-of-hours GP video link between the minor injury and illness unit at Blairgowrie Community Hospital and specialists in Dundee.

The service, which will allow a patient's blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate, weight and lung function to be assessed at a distance, is aimed at reducing the need for patients to travel to Dundee for face-to-face consultations and to reduce patient anxiety.

A spokeswoman for NHS Tayside said: "The pilot is being run in conjunction with the Scottish Centre for Telehealth. The national centre works towards preventative, anticipatory care in local communities rather than in a hospital setting, and improving the standard and speed of care. If successful, the trial will be rolled out to Crieff and then Pitlochry."