KEEPING ICONIC SERVICE IN THE AIR

The Turnbull Government will enable the Royal Flying Doctor Service to extend and expand essential health services for Australians in rural and remote areas.

This will help ensure these essential services are available where and when people need them.

Australians living in rural and remote places will get better access to dental care services,  emergency air medical services and for the first time the Royal Flying Doctor Service will establish a Mental Health Outreach Clinic.

$84 million in new funding will put more psychologists and mental health nurses on the ground in areas where there are currently few or no services.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service is one of the largest and most comprehensive aeromedical organisations in the world and this year celebrates its 90th birthday.

That’s 90 years of providing care to Australians living in some of the nation’s most remote areas, often in the most challenging circumstances. Ninety years of changing lives. Ninety years of saving lives.

While ambulatory, dental and mental health services are provided across metropolitan Australia, many in rural and remote areas rely on the unique and essential access of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. 

The Turnbull Government’s four-year $327 million commitment ensures these services are continued or extended to areas where Commonwealth-funded activity currently doesn’t reach or is limited.

Funding for dental outreach services in areas of most need will be extended beyond 2019. A new Mental Health Outreach Clinic program will be in operation by 1 January 2019.

The Government is also increasing its contribution to stand-by arrangements for Royal Flying Doctor Service bases to ensure access to ambulance services.

Six Royal Flying Doctor Service operational sections will directly benefit from this funding – South East Section (NSW), Central Operations (SA and south of Tennant Creek), Western Operations (WA), Queensland Operations (QLD), Royal Flying Doctor Service Victorian Section (VIC), and Royal Flying Doctor Service of Tasmania (TAS).