Broken Hill resident Majorie Murnane is one of the thousands living with chronic pain in the NSW Far West who have been helped by an online specialist service run from far away Greenwich Hospital in Sydney.
The Greenwich and Far West Telehealth Chronic Pain Service is keen to expand to help more small remote communities if funding became available.
Ms Murnane, 71, lives with discomfort from fibromyalgia, a disorder characterised by widespread musculoskeletal pain.
In a small consulting room in a Broken Hill GP clinic, Ms Murnane logs on for consultations with rehabilitation and pain specialist Dr Amanda Johns 1100kms away.
With the help of Dr Johns and the team at Greenwich on Sydney’s Lower North Shore, Ms Murnane has been able to ease off heavy medications and manage her symptoms through an exercise prescription and general health coaching.
“If Amanda had not taken me on board as a patient, I think I’d be cactus,” Ms Murnane said.
“I can’t get into any local pain clinic here. Amanda has been ideal for me.’”
Dr Johns has been able to provide effective care for Ms Murnane through a headset and laptop.
Since opening in 2016, the clinic has provided chronic pain advice to about 1600 patients like Ms Murnane referred to them by GPs in Broken Hill, White Cliffs, Wilcannia, Tibooburra, and Menindee. In 2023 alone, the clinic provided 501 consultations for 130 patients.
Patients with chronic pain in the region would face hours of travel to Mildura, Adelaide or even Orange, for specialist support without the telehealth service.
“Our wait time for the people of the Far West is shorter than most pain clinics in Sydney,” she said. “And it’s at no cost to them.”
Ms Murnane, a Broken Hill local for over 3 decades, lives alone with her dog ‘Babygirl’ and three chickens. She said the specialist care has been a lifesaver since being one of their first patients eight years ago.
Dr Johns is supported by a multi-disciplinary team including a physiotherapist, psychologist, and pain nurse. Twice a year the team travel to Broken Hill to visit the patients in person.
Ms Murnane said she has had pain all her life, but in recent years grief from the loss of family members – two brothers in three weeks and her sister within a year – has inflamed her condition. She also has pain from past car accidents.
Dr Johns is supported by a multi-disciplinary team including physiotherapist Cynthia Ashley, psychologist Melissa lanniello and pain nurse David Monck, an indication of the complex causes of chronic pain.
Dr Johns said the Far West locals, many from lower social economic backgrounds, come to her with low expectations.
“They are used to struggling to find a doctor and expect that no specialist will be available. Sadly, they often see GP doctors come and go,” she said.
Patients come to the clinic with pain linked to injuries received from working in the mines, or from years of working in various manual jobs.
Dr Johns said the service could expand further if NSW Health resourcing became available. “We are phoned up at least fortnightly by other small GP practices in other towns asking for our help, especially for advice around managing the strong morphine type medications,” she said.
Broken Hill GP Ramu Nachiappan, who has referred many of his patients to the service, expressed his gratitude for how the Greenwich team has enthusiastically embraced the challenges of caring for patients remotely.
“Such a service has an important role in reducing the high dependence on strong analgesics and stabilising individuals with chronic pain on optimal medical and non-medical interventions,” Dr Nachiappan said.
HammondCare General Manager Health and Palliative Care Felicity Burns said the success of the clinic shows telehealth can effectively offer high quality health care to rural and remote locations.
“The Greenwich and Far West Telehealth Chronic Pain Service is making a real difference to the quality of life for people who otherwise would have no access to help,” Ms Burns said