What we do

Using the latest in aviation, medical and communications technology, the RFDS works to provide emergency medical and primary health care services to anyone who lives, works or travels in rural and remote Australia.

The services we offer

Medical services needed by people living in rural and remote areas of Australia are no different to services required in our large cities, but the vast distances that small rural populations have to overcome to access health services, provide a real challenge. The Royal Flying Doctor Service works to assist country Australians in many ways.

With a waiting room of 7.69 million square kilometres, the RFDS provides 24-hour aeromedical emergency services that can reach anywhere, no matter how remote, within hours. Combined with telehealth consultations, fly-in fly-out GP and Nurse clinics, mobile dental services, patient transfers, and a myriad of other health services, the RFDS is constantly working to see that those living in rural and remote areas can enjoy the same health outcomes as those living in city areas.

Aeromedical Retrieval

With a waiting room of 7.13 million square kilometres, we provide 24-hour aeromedical emergency services to country Australia.

GP and Nurse Clinics

The RFDS provides regular fly-in fly-out GP, Nursing and Allied Health Clinics to rural and remote communities.

Emilia's Story

“The isolation felt extreme in Coral Bay when Emilia was bitten by the snake.”

Read Emilia's Story

Telehealth

Tele-health consultations provide medical assistance or advice from an RFDS doctor to those who live in rural and remote areas.

Dental Care

RFDS Oral health services have been established in many areas of Australia, with fly-in fly-out or mobile basis.

12:52pm Telehealth Consultation - 24 hours with the Flying Doctor

Being able to see a Doctor over video is wonderful. It’s a really great service and certainly eases some of those worries you can have waiting for results.

Read 12:52pm Telehealth Consultation - 24 hours with the Flying Doctor

Patient transfers

Whether it is inter-hospital transfers by air or by road, the RFDS plays a vital role in transporting patients from hospital to hospital for medical treatment

Mental Health

Mental health is important to anyone, but particularly those who live in rural and remote areas. The RFDS delivers mental health services n Queensland, New South Wales and central Australia.

A day in the life – John Hannan

For Cairns Mental Health Clinical Practitioner, John Hannan, no two days in his line of work are ever the same. Flexibility and spontaneity are required to ensure every client seen is helped. This is a day in the life of John Hannan.

Read A day in the life – John Hannan

Health Education

The RFDS runs Healthy Living programs in many states, which help individuals and communities in remote areas adopt exercise and diet regimes

Research

Providing emergency medical and primary health services across vast distances and communities, we are in a unique position to bring health service information and statistics to the attention of industry so that we can achieve better health outcomes for country Australians.

Farmhand to Flying Doctor

The mail plane was small. It didn’t fill me with confidence – one engine, one pilot. But he was friendly and made me feel a little reassured. I was 15 years old and heading out to Abingdon Downs Station in gulf country Queensland, to visit my school friend Klancie, and ‘help’ with the mustering.

Read Farmhand to Flying Doctor