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Western Australia is placing an expert critical care physician and critical care paramedic on its rescue helicopters for the first time.
The RAC Rescue helicopters will commence the “enhanced physician-paramedic model” with Jandakot on 14 September, followed by Bunbury in 2027. The service will also be integrated into WA Country Health Service’s Command Centre and WA Health’s State Operations Centre (SHOC).
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12 doctors with backgrounds across emergency medicine, anaesthesia and intensive care have been recruited by the WA Country Health Service to support the plan.
According to the state government, the expansion of the Emergency Rescue Helicopter Service “delivers on recommendations from the WA Aeromedical Services Inquiry and brings our State in line with leading retrieval services in other jurisdictions”.
“By delivering a first-of-its-kind aeromedical retrieval model for Western Australia, communities will be supported by both a critical care physician and critical care paramedic,” said Health Minister Meredith Hammat.
“These are two highly skilled and specialised clinicians that will work together to get critically unwell patients from where they are, to where they need to be.
“Under this new partnership, Western Australians will benefit from a stronger, more co-ordinated Emergency Rescue Helicopter Service, with enhanced clinical capability and improved State-wide co-ordination.
“We’ve taken on board the findings from the Aeromedical Services Inquiry and embedded them directly into the new and improved RAC Emergency Rescue Helicopter Service.”
Managed by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) in partnership with WA Country Health Service, St John WA (SJWA) and CHC Helicopters Australia, support more than 90 per cent of WA’s population.
According to Emergency Services Minister Reece Whitby, the service is “a critical part of emergency response in Western Australia.”
“DFES, in partnership with St John WA and CHC Helicopters Australia, have led an incredible service for many years, and this expansion builds on their success,” he said.
“This new physician-paramedic model is expected to bring a more co-ordinated approach across healthcare, patient transport and emergency response.
“It brings together the best of the best to make sure people living in the country can access high-quality emergency care.”
WA last year overhauled its DFES fleet with three new Leonardo AW139 rescue helicopters, and has also secured a pair of firefighting Black Hawks for another three years. The state government in February pledged $12.5 million to a new purpose-built emergency services facility at Jandakot.
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