When time counts

One of the major players in this space is CMS Air Ambulance, which is a part of the CareFlight Group Queensland, which also operates the RACQ CareFlight Rescue helicopter. CMS was established in 2005, and initially operated from CareFlight’s base at the Gold Coast Airport with one dedicated Learjet 35.

CMS currently operates a Learjet 45XR from its Gold Coast base, while in April it opened its second baseat Townsville International Airport, which allows it a quicker transit time to international destinations. Somewhat fittingly, as the Learjet 36A for the Townsville base was preparing to depart on its ferry flight from the Gold Coast, it was tasked to retrieve an injured hiker from Papua New Guinea for treatment in Townsville.

The company says that it can respond to a domestic tasking within 45 minutes, while international taskings require 90 minutes preparation time. To carry out their important tasks, both aircraft are fitted with customised Lifeport stretcher system and other medical equipment, while a registered nurse and specialist doctor are also carried on board.

International retrievals particularly are conducted mostly on behalf of travel insurance companies seeking to repatriate patients. These are conducted as a business, and generate small surpluses. “All net profit proceeds obtained from the CMS Air Ambulance business are directed back into our core purpose, the charitable RACQ CareFlight Rescue community helicopters,” said CareFlight Group Queensland CEO Ashley van de Velde.

He notes that demand for its services has been growing over the years, which is being driven both by an increase in awareness of the service and increased overseas tourism. “With more low priced international airfares available, there are more people taking overseas holidays. In the event of an illness or an accident, it becomes top priority to return the patient to Australia to receive medical treatment and be with their family.”

With a growing demand for the Air Ambulance services, the fleet is also increasing. “To service the growing needs of the CMS Air Ambulance business, we have secured two additional airframes for expanded bases,” said CEO Ashley van de Velde.

In addition to the CMS Air Ambulance, Sydney based NRMA CareFlight provides international jet retrieval services since 1990 under the CareFlight International banner. Initially, this started out of Sydney in the 1990s, but since has opened operations in Darwin in 2007 and Perth in 2008. It also supplies medical crew to support patient retrievals on commercial aircraft where required.

Unlike the CMS Air Ambulance, the CareFlight International retrievals rely on aircraft operated by Pel-Air Aviation, with three IAI Westwinds dedicated to the operation. Medical crews for flights from Sydney some from the NRMA CareFlight team, as well as specialists from local hospitals at each of the bases.

Unlike the CMS Air Ambulance, which is available for both domestic and international patient retrievals, Careflight’s services are dedicated to international retrievals. However, the company does have an agreement with the WA Department of Health does give it access to the Perth based aircraft on an as-needed basis.

As with CMS, surpluses from Careflight’s air ambulance services are used to fund its helicopter services in New South Wales.
For both agencies, most often they are requested by travel insurance or international assistance companies to conduct patient retrievals, with the South Pacific and Asia key areas for retrievals. Increasingly this also involves responding to a number of disasters, both in and out of Australia.

“Each time there is an incident like, for example, the Victorian bush fires or recent tsunamis, CMS Air Ambulance immediately provides its response capabilities to the appropriate government authorities,” explained van de Veld. “We then work cooperatively under the direction of the relevant authorities or assistance companies to provide whatever services the situation requires.”

Similarly, the CareFlight service based in Perth can also be tasked by the WA Department of Health to provide emergency retrieval services within WA where required. For example, a CareFlight service was utilised to transport critical burns patients from Broome and Truscott to Perth and Darwin following an explosion aboard a fishing vessel off the WA coast in late 2008.

Jet for the RFDS

As well as the CMS and CareFlight services, which are primarily focused on international services, October saw the venerable Royal Flying Doctor Service enter the jet age for the first time.

On October 16, RFDS Western Operations entered into service a medically configured Hawker 850XP2 jet, which had been acquired and fitted out in the United States. This has been part of a long-term plan to enhance response capabilities of the RFDS, particularly where urgent transfers from across WA are required.

Branded as the Rio Tinto Life Flight Jet, the Hawker is fitted with a Lifeport PLUS aeromedical interior capable of carrying three stretcher patients and three medical attendants. The aircraft has also been fitted with a gravel kit to allow it to operate from unsealed airstrips.

Initially, the jet is being operated under a three year pilot program, with significant support from Rio Tinto, the WA government, private donors and even the RFDS in Victoria.

The critical factor for the jet is the time with which patients in rural and remote communities can be transported to Perth for urgent attention. “In an emergency, every minute counts,” said RFDS Western Operations chairman Tony Cook. “If you can save time, you can save lives and improve health outcomes for seriously ill patients transferring to hospital form remote areas.”

The jet also helps to extend the reach of the Service. “The jet can fly non-stop from any location in Western Australia to Perth in approximately three hours and it can undertake interstate transfers without refuelling in most circumstances,” said RFDS Western Operations’ medical director Dr Steven Langford.

Within its first 12 months, the aircraft is expected to transport approximately 500 patients, most of which are expected to come from the Pilbara region. The jet will also allow for a faster response to requests for transferrals from the Christmas and Cocos Islands.

Unlike the Careflight services, the LifeFlight Jet is dedicated to operating retrieval flights within WA, and will not compete for overseas insurance work. Instead, as with all other RFDS services, there will be no charge for use of the LifeFlight Jet.

As the RFDS WA Operations base is at Jandakot Airport, where there is limited support for jets, the LifeFlight service will be flown by Maroomba Airlines and operate from a dedicated facility at the company’s Perth Airport base.

While it is being primarily used for urgent patient retrievals, the LifeFlight Jet was involved in search and rescue efforts off of the Cocos Islands after a report of boat sinking on November 2. For the mission, three trained aerial spotters were carried on board the aircraft, which worked in tandem with a RAAF AP-3C Orion to try and find 20 missing people.

Overall, with demand for international services increasing, and the recent entry into service of a jet for the RFDS, business jets are playing an important role in helping to save Australians lives both at home and abroad.