Tele-Vision and artificial intelligence (AI) will transform how patients access specialist eye care.

With your support, we're bringing sight-saving expertise closer to home. 

Watch how Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation is investing in breakthrough technology that could transform emergency eye care across Australia. 

A new era in emergency eye care 

Where you live shouldn't determine the care you receive. 

Yet for many Australians living in regional and remote communities, access to specialist eye care often means long journeys, delayed diagnosis and time away from work and family. At Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation, we're changing that by investing in innovative solutions that bring specialist expertise closer to home. 

Through the generosity of our supporters, we're helping advance two groundbreaking initiatives that have the potential to transform emergency eye care across Australia: Tele-Vision and AI-assisted diagnosis. 

Bringing specialist care closer to home 

Tele-Vision is an innovative model of care that connects regional emergency departments directly with Sydney Eye Hospital specialists. 

Using secure, high-resolution imaging, clinicians can share detailed eye images in real time, allowing specialists to rapidly assess patients and provide expert advice without unnecessary transfers. This means more people can receive timely, sight-saving care closer to home. 

This is already becoming a reality, with virtual connectivity beginning in Wollongong Hospital and plans to expand this innovative model of care into more regional communities. 

Investing in the future with AI 

Tele-Vision is just the beginning. 

Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation is also supporting pioneering research with UNSW to develop artificial intelligence tools that could help clinicians identify serious eye conditions sooner. 

Working alongside Professor Arcot Sowmya and her research team, clinicians are training AI using tens of thousands of clinical eye images. The goal is to provide evidence-based clinical support that enables faster diagnosis and treatment when every minute matters. 

"AI works hand in hand with Tele-Vision because it can identify acute problems in emergency settings quickly – and that could significantly improve outcomes for patients." 

— Dr Alex Jessup, Clinical Lead 

Why this matters 

Every year, Sydney Eye Hospital cares for more than 70,000 patients. While many live in metropolitan Sydney, thousands travel from regional and remote communities to access specialist expertise that isn't available locally. 

For patients like John from Wagga Wagga, who currently makes a 16-hour round trip each month to see his specialist, innovations like Tele-Vision could dramatically reduce the burden of accessing expert care. 

Our vision is simple: no Australian should miss out on timely, specialist eye care because of where they live. 

Help drive the next stage of innovation 

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, Tele-Vision is already beginning to transform the delivery of emergency eye care. 

Now we're taking the next step. 

Your donation will help advance Tele-Vision and support pioneering AI research that has the potential to improve diagnosis, expand access to specialist expertise and deliver better outcomes for patients across Australia. 

Together, we can help ensure distance is no longer a barrier to sight-saving care. 

Donate today and help shape the future of emergency eye care. 

Learn more 

Want to see the impact of your support? 

Explore our 2025 Impact Report to discover how donors are advancing patient care, research, education and innovation at Sydney Eye Hospital.