Over and above our regular clinics, the RFDS is taking preventative care out to the communities of central and western NSW – wherever they are.
At this year’s Wellington and Dubbo Agricultural Shows, 33 shearing professionals did something that can be surprisingly hard to do in the bush – they got protected against Q Fever, without taking days off work or driving hours to find a clinic.
That's because a partnership of local organisations worked together to bring the clinic to them, including the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS). Partnering with health promotion charity sHedway, we ran Q Fever screening at the Wellington Show, then returned a week later at the Dubbo Show so eligible participants could come back for their vaccination. More than 40 came forward to be screened; 100% returns for follow-up and the 33 eligible walked away protected.
Furthermore, the Western NSW LHD offered free Japanese Encephalitis vaccinations, seeing a further 23 shearing industry workers also protected against that.
This successful initiative was a true team effort that highlights the impact we make when our communities and organisations work together. Conceived and coordinated by sHedway, supported by Sports Shear NSW and the local show committees, sponsored by the Rotary Club of South Dubbo, with vaccinations provided by the Western NSW Local Health District, and the essential clinical support led by the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and supported by the Macquarie Health Collective.
It's one example of a much bigger commitment. For the RFDS, being here for regional, rural and remote communities isn't just a mission – it's something that shapes everything we do, and finding new ways past the barriers of distance, cost and time is at the heart of it.
Q Fever is a case in point. A bacterial infection commonly carried by livestock, it poses a serious risk to anyone working in agriculture and the shearing industry. Vaccination is highly effective, but getting the screening and immunisation it requires can be a real challenge in the bush – often meaning travel, time off work and out-of-pocket costs that delay or prevent care altogether. Meeting shearers at the Shows, where they already were, took those barriers off the table.
The partnership made all the difference. Established in 2023 and led by Founder and CEO Carol Mudford, sHedway supports suicide prevention and mental fitness in the shearing and sheep industries of Australia. Their deep connections within the industry – and their commitment to wellbeing – ensured the clinics reached the right people at the right time, supporting both physical and mental health in a workforce that can be hard to reach through traditional services.
Alongside initiatives like these, the RFDS is a constant presence across Western NSW through our regular Primary Healthcare Clinics.
"We have an established program where we service six communities outside of Dubbo on a regular basis – weekly, fortnightly or monthly," says RFDS Primary Care Nurse Abbey Barrett.
"But we're always looking for new ways to reach people who might otherwise miss out – including through partnerships and community events."
This initiative was not possible without clinical support from the RFDS, and we all appreciate it so much. Every person presenting to the clinic had stories to tell about trying but failing to access the vaccination in the past, and the 100% presentation rate shows how much our community wants health support when it is accessible to us.
sHedway’s Carol MudfordThis is what being here for regional, rural and remote communities looks like in practice: a reliable, regular presence – and the readiness to meet people wherever they are, whenever they need us.
Because while not everyone can take home a title at the Sports Shear NSW Championships, taking charge of your health is something worth championing – and with the RFDS, it's a goal that's becoming more achievable for communities right across regional Australia.
To learn more about RFDS Primary Healthcare Clinics, visit flyingdoctor.org.au.
To find out more about sHedway, visit shedway.org.au.
