7 August 2026

Victoria’s Virtual Hospital pilot program is not just providing benefits to people living regionally and rurally. Delivered by Austin Health and Royal Melbourne Hospital, the program is allowing people living in metropolitan Melbourne to get hospital level care in their homes and reunite with their loved ones and pets faster.

Preston resident Rowan became a patient of the Virtual Hospital after his GP sent him to the Emergency Department at Austin Hospital with some concerning blood glucose levels. After a thorough assessment, the Emergency Department doctor suggested that Rowan might be a good candidate for the Virtual Hospital.

Rowan had a one-night stay in the hospital to get everything where it needed to be. Before going home, Rowan met with the Diabetes Educator, Hospital in the Home Virtual Care Nurse and Diabetes Doctor, got a continuous glucose monitor which was hooked up to an app to monitor his levels and got all the medications he needed.

Rowan says that it was much nicer to be in his own home and brought his stress levels down. He was also able to get home and look after his partner who was unwell, and their two cats.

“If I was stuck in a hospital, I would be worrying about them but instead I was able to be at home looking after them and myself,” Rowan says. “Pets are healing – it was much nicer to be at home with them.”

If his blood sugar spiked, he would receive a call from a nurse to check in on how he was going.

“I felt safe, I felt watched over,” Rowan says. “The health care professionals were coaching me through how to look after myself – it took the stress out of this life-changing diagnosis.”

After being at home for a few days, come Monday Rowan felt better and, knowing he had the connection to the hospital, decided to go into work. He received a call at lunch checking in on him.

“It was like I had a pit crew supporting me while I got to get on with my life,” Rowan says. “At no point in this journey to being diabetic have I ever felt not supported.”

The Virtual Hospital pilot supports expert care for patients from the comfort of their own homes or local hospitals in rural and regional Victoria using innovative digital technology. It also aims to help patients return home sooner after a hospital admission by providing check-ups and monitoring remotely, where safe to do so.