More Staff, more aircraft and quicker response times for Royal Flying Doctor Service
Regional South Australians facing medical emergencies will be retrieved for life-saving care faster than ever before, with the State Government investing more than half a billion dollars in an historic new agreement with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS SA/NT).
Significantly boosting aircraft services and staff enabling faster patient transfers, the Malinauskas Labor Government has taken flight into a new era of fixed wing aeromedical transport services, ushering in a 10-year contract with the RFDS, worth $509.4 million.
The investment will significantly boost operational capacity at Adelaide Airport – increasing RFDS operations to four aircraft during the day and three overnight. The available fleet will also feature for the first time a dedicated emergency response aircraft.
The operation of these aircraft and the health services they support is government- funded and the partnership will be reflected with the Government of South Australia branding on these aircraft.
The RFDS frontline team will increase by 23.4 FTE staff, including nurses, pilots, engineers, clinical support and operations communications staff. Importantly, two dedicated nurses will be stationed 24/7 at the Adelaide Patient Transfer Facility, ensuring continuous patient care while keeping RFDS Flight Nurses ready to fly.
The investment means patients will be retrieved faster, with new KPIs more than halving the target response time for takeoff for Priority 1 and 2 regional fixed wing retrievals and Inter Hospital Transfers contracted to the RFDS through SA Ambulance Service (SAAS).
The new KPI requires RFDS aircraft to get in the air within 20 minutes of being tasked with an emergency job, more than halving the previous 45 minute target.
The rapid response capability will allow SAAS to quickly access areas that previously required longer helicopter flights, dramatically enhancing access to critical care.
The increase in assets will improve the movement of patients out of metropolitan hospitals for care closer to home, ensure quicker access to care for patients travelling into the major hospitals, and ensure that SAAS MedSTAR’s critical care teams reach South Australians much faster.
Each flight will be staffed with RFDS nurses for inter-hospital urgent transfers or SAAS MedSTAR critical care teams of doctors, nurses and/or paramedics for retrieval cases.
Additional benefits of the agreement include new KPIs to monitor and ensure aircraft availability, case volumes and maintenance. The contract also includes a dedicated contract and relationship manager to manage the contract and to ensure these targets are consistently met.
SAAS MedSTAR with RFDS conduct approximately 7,400 interhospital transfers and retrievals each year.
The co-branded Pilatus aircraft for government-funded retrievals will take to the skies this week with more co-branded assets due to be in operation by December.
“We want every South Australian, no matter where they are in the state, to have access to efficient and high-quality health care,” Minister for Health and Wellbeing, Chris Picton said.
“The Malinauskas Labor Government is committed to improving ambulance response times, whether on the road or in the skies, and these enhancements are a direct result of our investments.”
SA Ambulance Service Chief Executive Officer Rob Elliott said SAAS MedSTAR retrieval clinicians, work closely with the RFDS to complete around five fixed wing missions, and coordinate 15-20 RFDS inter-hospital transfers each day. “Together, they do an incredible job delivering vital care to critically ill, injured and transport-ready South Australians.”
For a real-life account of the work the RFDS does, click here to hear to read about Paramedic, Sonia Strong’s outback rescue.
