Royal Flying Doctor Service facts for kids
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| Abbreviation | RFDS |
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| Predecessor | AIM Aerial Medical Service |
| Established | 15 May 1928 |
| Founder | John Flynn |
| Founded at | Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia |
| Type | Not-for-profit organisation |
| Legal status | Charity |
| Headquarters | Canberra, Australia |
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Region served
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Australia |
| Services |
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National Board Chair
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Tracey Hayes |
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National Deputy Chair
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John O'Donnell |
| Affiliations | Six autonomous regional divisions and a national office |
The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), often called the Flying Doctor, is a special air medical service in Australia. It is the biggest of its kind in the world. This group is a not-for-profit organisation. It gives urgent medical help and transport to people in Australia's remote areas. These patients need to get to bigger hospitals for better care.
The RFDS also offers basic health services. These include visits from doctors, mental health support, and other health experts. They help communities that are far away and would not easily get medical care. The RFDS has six separate regional groups and a main office in Canberra.
Contents
History of the Flying Doctor Service
A "Mantle of Safety" for the Outback
John Flynn was a minister who worked in country areas of Victoria. The Presbyterian Church asked him to see what people in the outback needed. In 1912, his report led to the start of the Australian Inland Mission (AIM). Flynn became its leader. In 1928, he started the AIM Aerial Medical Service. This was a one-year trial based in Cloncurry, Queensland. This trial later grew into the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Flynn wanted to set up hospitals in remote communities. But this did not help people who lived very far from any town. He often told sad stories about people in the bush. One famous story was about Jimmy Darcy in 1917.
The Story of Jimmy Darcy
Jimmy Darcy was a stockman at Ruby Plains. This was a very remote cattle station in Western Australia. He was badly hurt with a ruptured bladder. His friends took him over 30 miles to Halls Creek, the closest town. There, the Postmaster, FW Tuckett, was the only person with first aid training. Tuckett knew he could not help Darcy much. He tried to contact doctors far away by telegraph.
Finally, he reached a doctor in Perth. The doctor guided Tuckett through two operations using morse code. Darcy was operated on in the Post Office because there were no medical facilities. The operations were successful. But sadly, Darcy died the next day from an undiagnosed illness. Stories like this showed Flynn that a better way to get medical help to remote areas was needed.
Planes and Radio: New Technologies Unite
A pilot named Lieutenant (John) Clifford Peel heard Flynn speak. In 1917, while in France for World War I, he wrote to Flynn. He told Flynn about a missionary doctor who used a plane to visit isolated patients. Flynn loved the idea of using aircraft. He published Peel's idea in the church newsletter. Peel died in 1918. He likely never knew how much his idea helped create the Flying Doctor Service.
Another new technology was radio. Alfred Traeger worked with Flynn in the 1920s. They experimented with radio to help remote places contact a medical base. The pedal radio was their first success. These radios were given to stations, missions, and homes around Cloncurry. Cloncurry was the main base for a powerful radio transmitter.
Trial air medical services began in 1926. In November 1927, an injured miner was flown from Mount Isa to Cloncurry.
By 1928, Flynn had raised enough money. The AIM Aerial Medical Service officially started on May 15. Supporters included industrialist HV McKay and Hudson Fysh, who helped start Qantas. Qantas provided the first plane, a De Havilland DH.50 called "Victory." On May 17, 1928, the first official flight took off from Cloncurry. Pilot Arthur Affleck flew 85 miles to Julia Creek. Over 100 people met the plane at the airstrip.
How the Service Works Today
In its first year, the service flew about 20,000 miles on 50 flights. It became the world's first full air ambulance service. The service faced tough times in its early years, like the Great Depression of the 1930s. For decades, it relied on community fundraising and donations.
Today, the government helps fund the service. But it still needs donations to buy and equip its planes. Until the 1960s, the service rented planes and hired pilots. After that, it started buying its own equipment and hiring its own pilots and mechanics.
In 1932, the success in Cloncurry led to a call for a national network. In 1934, the Australian Aerial Medical Service opened "Sections" across the country. Bases were set up in places like Wyndham, Port Hedland, Kalgoorlie, Broken Hill, and Alice Springs. In 1937, Dr Jean White became the first female flying doctor in Australia and the world. In 1942, the service was renamed the Flying Doctor Service. In 1955, it became the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Sister Myra Blanch was one of the first nurses, called "Flying Sisters." She was very important in the New South Wales Section in the 1940s and 50s. Flying Nurses became common in the 1960s. Many patient flights are done with just an RFDS nurse and pilot. Nurses have made many improvements. For example, in 1951, they added a "body chart" to the RFDS medical chest. This chart showed a human body with numbered areas. A doctor could ask "where is the pain?" and the patient could point to a number. Medicines in the chest are also numbered to make communication easy.
The service still relies a lot on community support. It is highly respected for helping rural and remote communities.
Its services include:
- Emergency Response: Flying to accidents or illnesses for first medical help.
- Emergency Transfers: Moving patients who need more advanced care.
- Non-Emergency Transport: Using planes and road ambulances for planned patient moves.
- Telehealth: 24/7 medical advice by radio, phone, or video call.
- Primary Health Clinics: Taking doctors, nurses, and other health experts to remote areas for regular visits. These clinics offer general check-ups, child and maternal health, mental health, and dental services.
- Support for Doctors: Giving advice and support to doctors in remote areas.
- Hospital Transfers: Moving patients between hospitals.
- Education: Offering training and scholarships for midwifery.
The service uses not only planes but also four-wheel drive vehicles. These help with transport and communication on the ground.
How the RFDS is Organized
The RFDS has seven main parts. These are the main office (federation office) and six regional groups. Each group has its own leaders and manages its own money and operations.
The Flying Doctor works from many bases and health centers across Australia.
Some RFDS bases are:
- Central Operations: Bases at Adelaide Airport, Alice Springs Airport, and Port Augusta Airport.
- South Eastern Section: Bases in Broken Hill, New South Wales; Dubbo, New South Wales; Launceston, Tasmania; Essendon Airport; and Sydney Airport and Bankstown Airport in Sydney.
- Victoria Operations: Bases across Victoria, including Essendon Airport; and over 100 road ambulances.
- Queensland Section: Bases at Brisbane Airport, Bundaberg Airport, Cairns Airport, Roma Airport, Charleville, Longreach, Mount Isa, Rockhampton, and Townsville Airport.
- Western Operations: Bases in Broome, Kalgoorlie, Meekatharra, Perth's Jandakot Airport, and Port Hedland.
Some older bases have closed or moved. For example, the first base in Cloncurry moved to Mount Isa in 1965. The newest base opened in Broome in 2016.
Aircraft Used by RFDS
The first plane used by the "Aerial Medical Service" in 1928 was a de Havilland DH.50. It was rented from Qantas. In 1934, it was replaced by a DH.83 Fox Moth.
Over the years, the RFDS has used many different types of planes. These include:
- 1930s-1940s: DH.50s, DH.83 Fox Moths, DH.84 Dragons, DH.104 Doves, and the de Havilland Australia DHA-3 Drover.
- 1950s-1970s: Beechcraft Baron, Beechcraft Travel Air, Beechcraft Queen Air, Beechcraft Duke, Cessna 180, Cessna 182, Cessna 421, Piper Cherokee, and Piper PA-31 Navajo.
- 1980s-2000s: Cessna 404 and Cessna 441.
Since the 1960s, the RFDS has owned its planes and hired its own pilots and engineers.
Today, the main planes used for medical flights are the Pilatus PC-12 and the Beechcraft King Air 200 series. These planes are designed to carry patients on stretchers.
The PC-12, PC-24, and King Air planes are "pressurised." This means the air pressure inside the cabin stays like it is at sea level. This is important for very sick patients who cannot handle changes in air pressure. Pressurised planes can also fly higher, above bad weather. This makes flights safer and more comfortable for patients and staff. It also helps prevent problems like motion sickness.
In October 2009, the RFDS added two Cessna 208B Grand Caravans and a Hawker 800XP jet to its fleet.
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| Aircraft | In service | Patients | Crew (including pilots) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus EC145 | 2 | 2 (1 stretcher) | 3 | |
| Beechcraft B200 | 17 | 5 (2 stretchers) | 3 | |
| Beechcraft B200C | 13 | 5 (2 stretchers) | 3 | |
| Beechcraft B300C | 10 | 5 (2 stretchers) | 3 | |
| Pilatus PC-12 | 35 | 5 (2 stretchers) | 3 | |
| Pilatus PC-24 | 4 | 5 (3 stretchers) | ||
| Total | 81 |
The RFDS received its four Pilatus PC-24 jets by 2021. These jets replaced their Hawker 800XP jet. They are based in Jandakot Airport and Broome in WA, and Adelaide SA. The PC-24 can carry three stretchers and two seated patients. It flies very fast, cutting flight times in half compared to propeller planes. The PC-24 can also land on both paved and unpaved runways.
In 2022, the Western Operations started using its own helicopters. Two Airbus EC145 helicopters were brought from Germany. They were set up as hospital retrieval platforms at Jandakot Airport. These helicopters fly patients up to 200 km from Perth. They can land in sports ovals or helipads. Patients are then flown directly to helipads on top of major hospitals in Perth.
Medical Equipment on Board
The RFDS uses modern emergency medical equipment. This helps them provide excellent care during flights. Some of this equipment includes:
- Transport ventilators (machines to help patients breathe)
- Critical care monitors (to check vital signs)
- Infusion devices (to give medicines or fluids)
- Portable diagnostic ultrasound (to see inside the body)
- Different types of splints and other medical tools.
RFDS Statistics
According to the RFDS of Australia's 2015/16 report, the service owns 67 aircraft. It operates from 23 bases and has 1,225 employees.
Every day, on average, the RFDS:
- Flies 73,554 kilometers.
- Makes 211 landings.
- Helps 800 patients (at clinics, during transport, or through telehealth).
- Transports 177 patients (including emergencies, transfers between hospitals, and road transports).
- Conducts 254 telehealth sessions.
School of the Air Connection
The School of the Air connects students in the outback with teachers. Until recently, it used the same radio equipment as the RFDS. Now, with the internet, students can connect online.
Notable People of the RFDS
Many important people have been part of the Royal Flying Doctor Service:
- Arthur Affleck: The first pilot for the service.
- John Flynn: The founder of the RFDS.
- Robin Miller: A nurse and pilot, known as "The Sugarbird Lady."
Heritage and Recognition
The First and Second Australian Inland Mission Hospitals in Birdsville are listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. This means they are important historical sites.
In 2009, the Royal Flying Doctor Service was named one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland. This was for its role as an amazing "innovation and invention."
In 2011, the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (Queensland Section) was added to the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame. This was to honor its great work in rural health and building communities in Australia.
See also
In Spanish: Royal Flying Doctor Service para niños
- Emergency Medical Retrieval Service (a similar service in Scotland)
- Emergency medical services in Australia
- Air medical services
