The RFDS in NSW/ACT
So much has changed over the last 97 years as we have adapted to meet the needs of outback Australians. But one thing that will never change is our commitment to always be there when we are needed.
Our South Eastern Section provides lifesaving outback emergency aeromedical retrievals and hospital transfers, as well as on the ground GP and nurse appointments, dental care, mental health care, alcohol and other drug counselling, vaccinations, chronic disease management and telehealth.
From our bases at Broken Hill and Dubbo our highly skilled doctors, nurses, dentists, mental health clinicians and other specialists fly or drive to remote communities to provide them afull suite of care. In many of these communities the RFDS is the only accessible provider of healthcare.
Today you can help close the distance to emergency care and save lives.
“I didn’t think we were going to get any help out there, and I didn’t think I was going to live long enough to see help.” – Tony Butt
It was just after 8:30pm when Tony’s truck collapsed on him on a remote roadside near Brewarrina. He was pinned under 15 tonnes of metal, bleeding heavily, and his legs were crushed.
In the bush, when a work accident like Tony’s happens, distance can become fatal.
Please donate today to bring rapid emergency care to the most remote parts of Australia, giving people like Tony a fighting chance when every minute matters.
Thank you.
A special invitation to become a Critical Health Response Partner
For families in the bush, the nearest hospital is hundreds of kilometres away. So when accidents happen or when illness takes hold, we are their only hope.
But that hope isnʼt guaranteed. Without long-term investment, families in remote communities face a future where critical care is out of reach.
Without future-focused partners, who understand the importance of ensuring long-term healthcare is available to all Australians, we cannot meet the growing health needs of families in the bush.
You’re invited to be one of the first-ever Critical Health Response Partners and make a promise to families in the bush that they’ll never be left behind.
There are thousands of reasons to thank you.
In 2025 you have made a profound impact on the health of families who live in the bush. Watch the video or click the link below to see your support in action.
Thank you for truly transforming lives in 2025.
Latest news stories
Mayors back RFDS to receive ongoing funding
Mayors from across rural NSW have thrown their weight behind a push for increased public funding for the RFDS, with the Country Mayors Association of NSW (CMA) calling on the NSW Government to ensure the Service’s ongoing sustainability by committing to ongoing core funding.
The RFDS Flight Nurse who delivered 3 of his own children
For Michael Cook, known across the Royal Flying Doctor Service South Eastern Section (RFDSSE) as Cookie, midwifery is not just a speciality he practices and teaches on the job. It is woven through almost every part of his life.
Graphic:
Dubbo RFDS Base
Dubbo Base, established in 1999, offers a range health services as well as being a top tourism attraction in the area.
Dubbo is home to The Outback Oral Health
and Treatment (TOOTH) program, serving the remote communities of Collarenebri,
Bourke, Lightning Ridge and Goodooga.
Dubbo conducts inter-hospital transfers,
the coordination of flights for the Rural Aerial Health Service (RAHS), as well
as emergency retrievals.
Bankstown RFDS Base
The RFDS base at Bankstown began operations in July 1994.
Bankstown Base is the home of the Rural Aerial Health Service (RAHS) which the RFDS operates on behalf of NSW Health. While administration and coordination of RAHS flights takes place at the Dubbo Base, the majority of flights are made from Bankstown.
Graphic:
RFDS Condobolin is a newly established medical practice in the heart of NSW. We take pride in providing excellence in care to our community, while building relationships based on trust and assurance with other local healthcare providers. RFDS Condobolin is a mixed billing practice, this means that anybody who does not fit our bulk-billing criteria will have to pay a small private fee for their consultation.
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The Gilgandra Medical Centre has been serving the Community for over 30 years. Our Principal GP was named Royal Australian College of General Practitioners' GP of the year.
The Centre is operated on behalf of the community by RFDS SE Medical Services, one of the largest charitable providers of primary care services to rural and remote communities in NSW.
We are conveniently located in town and our doctors provide emergency care at the Emergency Department and Residential Aged Care Facility.
Our practices welcomes all patients and has particular expertise in providing health care to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. We are a LGBTQI+ friendly medical centre. Patients with a disability should advise staff when making an appointment about how we can better accommodate your needs.
Our practice is an accredited teaching facility actively engaged in the learning process hosting of ANU and University of Sydney medical students and nursing students. We are also a training facility for GPs and Registrars who are interested in pursuing a career in rural and remote practice.
We operate 5 days per week with late appointments available by request.
Our team prides itself on providing a high level of patient care - and we look forward to welcoming new patients to our practice. As the principal primary health service in Gilgandra, we coordinate allied health and specialist appointments from our practice.
We would like to thank our existing patients for their continued support and hope we make a small difference to the lives of our local residents and many visitors to our town.
We provide early intervention, prevention, health information and screening, as well as chronic disease management services. We also provide visiting specialist clinics with medical consultants including ear, nose and throat specialists, dermatologists, eye specialists and a specialist breast care nurse (with the McGrath Foundation) who supports patients from diagnosis, and throughout treatment.
The RFDS provide the following services to the community:
- General Practioner
- Practice Nurse
- Mental Health
- Alcohol and Other Drug Counselling
- Dental
Graphic:
We provide early intervention, prevention, health information and screening, as well as chronic disease management services. We also provide visiting specialist clinics with medical consultants including ear, nose and throat specialists, dermatologists, eye specialists and a specialist breast care nurse (with the McGrath Foundation) who supports patients from diagnosis, and throughout treatment.
Graphic:
We provide early intervention, prevention, health information and screening, as well as chronic disease management services. We also provide visiting specialist clinics with medical consultants including ear, nose and throat specialists, dermatologists, eye specialists and a specialist breast care nurse (with the McGrath Foundation) who supports patients from diagnosis, and throughout treatment.
The RFDS provide the following services to the community:
General Practioner
Practice Nurse
Mental Health
Alcohol and Other Drug Counselling
Dental
Graphic:
We provide early intervention, prevention, health information and screening, as well as chronic disease management services. We also provide visiting specialist clinics with medical consultants including ear, nose and throat specialists, dermatologists, eye specialists and a specialist breast care nurse (with the McGrath Foundation) who supports patients from diagnosis, and throughout treatment.
The RFDS provide the following services to the community:
- RFDS PHN
- Doctor
- Dental
- MHAOD
Graphic:
The Warren Medical Centre has been serving the Community for over 10 years.
The Centre is operated on behalf of the community by RFDS SE Medical Services- one the largest charitable provider of primary health care services to rural and remote communities in NSW.
We are conveniently located in town and our doctors provide emergency care at the Emergency Department and Residential Aged Care Facility.
Our practices welcomes all patients and has particular expertise in providing health care to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. We are a LGBTQI+ friendly medical centre. Patients with a disability should advise staff when making an appointment about how we can better accommodate your needs.
Our practice is an accredited teaching facility actively engaged in the learning process hosting of ANU and University of Sydney medical students and nursing students from Monash University and the University of Newcastle. We are also a training facility for GPs and Registrars who are interested in pursuing a career in rural and remote practice.
We operate 5 days per week with late appointments available by request.
Our team prides itself on providing a high level of patient care - and we look forward to welcoming new patients to our practice. As the principal primary health service in Warren, we coordinate allied health and specialist appointments from our practice.
We would like to thank our existing patients for their continued support and hope we make a small difference to the lives of our local residents and many visitors to our town.
Graphic:
We provide early intervention, prevention, health information and screening, as well as chronic disease management services. We also provide visiting specialist clinics with medical consultants including ear, nose and throat specialists, dermatologists, eye specialists and a specialist breast care nurse (with the McGrath Foundation) who supports patients from diagnosis, and throughout treatment.
The RFDS provide the following services to the community:
- PHN
- Doctor
- Dental,
- MHAOD.
- FWLHD site
Graphic:
We provide early intervention, prevention, health information and screening, as well as chronic disease management services. We also provide visiting specialist clinics with medical consultants including ear, nose and throat specialists, dermatologists, eye specialists and a specialist breast care nurse (with the McGrath Foundation) who supports patients from diagnosis, and throughout treatment.
The RFDS provide the following services to the community:
- General Practioner
- Practice Nurse
- Dental Health
- Alcohol and Other Drug Counselling
- Dental
We provide early intervention, prevention, health information and screening, as well as chronic disease management services. We also provide visiting specialist clinics with medical consultants including ear, nose and throat specialists, dermatologists, eye specialists and a specialist breast care nurse (with the McGrath Foundation) who supports patients from diagnosis, and throughout treatment.
The RFDS provide the following services to the community:
- PHN,
- Doctor,
- Dental,
- MHAOD.
- FWLHD site
