The RFDS in SA/NT
Graphic: To me RFDS brand campaign
Caring for Australians,
from the ground up.
Every year, we assist more than 56,000 patients in South Australia and the Northern Territory (Central Operations) - that's one patient every 10 minutes.
What we doGraphic: RFDS Central Operations 'To Me'
Real stories. Real patients.
Click to watch real stories from real patients, and learn how your Flying Doctor is caring for Australians, from the ground up.
Graphic: Donate to the RFDS SA/NT
Help keep the
Flying Doctor flying.
The RFDS is a not-for-profit organisation. While we receive support from governments, we rely on fundraising and donations to bridge the gap in operational funding, and to finance replacement aircraft, medical equipment and other major capital initiatives.
Donate to SA/NTLatest news stories

Highway to help: Tony's story
29 Aug 2023When Tony’s vehicle rolled off the Eyre Highway in one of the most remote areas of the country, he was trapped in his car clinging to life – needing the RFDS to land on the road to airlift him to safety.
Read full story
Cloud-powered care: Introducing the RFDS Electronic Health Record
29 Aug 2023The Flying Doctor has embarked on a new era of healthcare accessibility, launching the RFDS Electronic Health Record (EHR) to further enhance patient care.
Read full storyGraphic:
Darwin RFDS Base
Darwin Base commenced operations in December 2017. The new purpose-built facility enables the RFDS to fulfil its strategic goal of providing the finest care through the entire north-south corridor of the Northern Territory and South Australia. The Base provides 24-hour emergency evacuations and inter-hospital transfers in addition to regular charter services to NT Health for the transport of health professionals delivering remote fly-in clinics throughout the Top End.
Graphic:
Alice Springs RFDS Base
The Alice Springs Base provides 24-hour emergency evacuations and inter-hospital transfers by our team of Pilots, Flight Nurses and Engineers. It serves an area of approximately 1.25 million square kilometres from Marla in northern South Australia to Elliot and Barkly Tableland in the Northern Territory, and beyond the border regions of Western Australia and Queensland. Crews also provide regular charter services to NT Health for the transport of health professionals working throughout Central Australia. The Mental Health Services Rural & Remote Areas Program delivered by RFDS mental health clinicians is also based in Alice Springs.
Alice Springs is also home to our award-winning RFDS Alice Springs Tourist Facility, which in recent years has undergone a major redevelopment to enhance its presence and improve the tourist experience for locals and visitors from all over the world. The RFDS Alice Springs Base also benefits from the Bill and Dawn Prior Village of 13 townhouses used as accommodation for staff and visiting clinicians.
Graphic:
Port Augusta RFDS Base
RFDS Central Operations’ state-of-the-art Operations Communications Centre is located at Port Augusta Base, from which our Operations Coordinators receive emergency calls, plan and assign all 24-hour emergency retrieval and inter-hospital transfer flights from Adelaide, Alice Springs, Port Augusta and Darwin, whilst also providing after-hours back up for the Broken Hill Base (operated by South Eastern Section).
The Port Augusta Base is headquarters of the RFDS Primary Health Care Service which serves an area of 840,000 square kilometres, providing comprehensive primary health care services to residents in the Far West and North West regions of SA. Services include 24-hour tele-health consultations, remote fly-in primary health care clinics offering specialist chronic disease, mental health, oral health, maternal health, breast cancer and community health nurses/clinicians.
In addition to our core of Doctors, Pilots, Flight Nurses, Engineers and Operations Coordinators, our Aboriginal Health Coordinator, Community Health Nurses, Lifestyle Advisor, Dentist and Dental Hygienist are based in Port Augusta enabling them to focus on serving people in isolated communities.
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The John Flynn's Memorial Historical Reserve is the resting place for the ashes of the Reverend John Flynn, founder of the Flying Doctor Service and the Australian Inland Mission.
The grave is on a low hill at the foot of the MacDonnell Ranges. The plaque expresses a lifetime achievement in just a few lines "His vision encompassed the continent". He established the Australian Inland Mission and founded the Royal Flying Doctor Service. He brought to lonely places a spiritual ministry and spread a mantle of safety over them by medicine and the radio.’
Click here to know more about John Reverend Flynn.
Graphic:
RFDS SA/NT | Andamooka Community Health Service
Opening Hours:
Monday - Friday | 9am-5pm
On-Call emergency services are provided after hours.
The Andamooka Health Service provides:
- Registered Nurse primary health care service
- Home visits
- Referrals
- 24-hour medical consultation and ambulance service.
Clinic Bookings:
E: andamooka@flyingdoctor.net
P: (08) 8672 7087
Graphic:
RFDS SA/NT | Innamincka Community Health Service
Innamincka Community Health Service offers the following health services:
- Remote Area Nursing team offering primary health needs.
- Virtual Care - appointments with Rural Generalist Doctor, Midwife or Mental Health Specialist over the phone or video call.
- Face-to-face primary health service that visits fortnightly.
Opening Hours:
Monday - Friday | 9am-5pm
Clinic Bookings:
E: clinicbookings@flyingdoctor.net
P: (08) 8080 3790
Graphic:
RFDS SA/NT | Marla Community Health Service
Opening Hours:
Monday - Friday | 9am-5pm
Marla Community Health Service offers the following health services:
- Registered Nurse primary health care service
- Home visits
- Referrals
- 24-hour medical consultation and ambulance service.
Clinic Bookings:
E: clinicbookings@flyingdoctor.net
P: 08) 8670 7007
Graphic:
RFDS SA/NT | Marree Community Health Service
Opening Hours:
Monday - Friday | 8am-5pm
On-Call emergency services are provided after hours.
The Marree Health Service provides:
- Registered Nurse primary health care service
- Home visits
- Referrals
- Short-stay facility
- 24-hour medical consultation and ambulance service.
Clinic Bookings:
E: clinicbookings@flyingdoctor.net
P: (08) 8675 8345.