Department of Health

Virtual Hospital Pilot

Victoria’s first Virtual Hospital Pilot has launched, bringing specialist hospital care to patients from the comfort of their own homes

Led through a partnership between The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Austin Health, this innovative service brings hospital-level care into homes, freeing up hospital beds and helping patients recover comfortably.

The Virtual Hospital Pilot commenced in December 2025 and will support more than 250 patients who would otherwise need to stay in hospital. It initially focused on people recovering from heart failure or cardiac procedures through virtual wards, using remote monitoring and regular virtual check-ins with clinical teams.

Specialists will also connect with regional health services to conduct virtual ward rounds and secondary consultations, ensuring patients receive the care they need without the stress of travelling. This is especially important for regional and rural Victorians, who will benefit from specialist support closer to home.

Expectant mothers in regional areas have access to a virtual fetal medicine service. Scans are completed locally and securely transferred to specialists at The Royal Women’s Hospital for real-time virtual consultations, supporting access to specialist care and saving families unnecessary trips to Melbourne.

Beyond patient care, the Pilot is expanding the Royal Melbourne Hospital’s Digital Coordination Centre, using real-time data to manage ambulance demand and hospital capacity. This will help paramedics identify hospitals with available capacity, reducing delays, and getting paramedics back on the road sooner.

The Virtual Hospital Pilot is backed by a $3 million investment through the Victorian Budget 2025/26 and will run for six months, with an evaluation in June 2026. The evaluation will consider patient experience, health outcomes, technology usability, and equitable access to care across metropolitan, regional, and rural Victoria.

This initiative builds on the state’s commitment to virtual care, including the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department, which received $437 million in this year’s budget to double its capacity and make the service permanent. Together, these programs reflect the Victorian Government’s plan to connect people to the right care, reduce pressure on hospitals, and embrace technology to deliver high-quality healthcare closer to home.

Reviewed 19 January 2026

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