Comment

Comment by David Beale on January 11, 2011 at 1:06pm

Cate, Thank you for comment and query.

It needs an answer.

As to the servicability factors and what you read by way of why the RFDS have them, PT12's are supposed to be inviolate, invincible, and fly reliably forever. Or did I get that wrong?

[Chuckle]

Most of which is actually pretty close to accurate.

Thing gets me is Charleville is quite often held up as the ne' plus plus

ultra of function wrt RFDS, so being from that area and having worked the area and even more remotely @ major distance from medical assistance in formats of risk it is concerning that a major injury of the type and extensiveness suffered was subject such lag and log time to effect extraction.

And, of course, from such a relatively distant source.

Is there but the one a/craft now @ Charleville? Case was that there were always two and possibly a third @ major RFDS nodes/bases, and with crews on tap and hand for [both of] them. Is it that the cost reliability, and speed of pT12's had caused reduction to a single a/craft @ the bases, and if so, what is triage priority above degree of injury sustained by that fuel burning victim?

I think we need some answers.

Comment by David Beale on January 10, 2011 at 11:08pm

I have a question.

On the afternoon of 21.12.10, @ Mt Margaret, Eromanga, my cousin Wallace Westman - currently in induced coma @ RBH burn intensive care unit - suffered 3rd degree burns to 30% of his upper body on ?Utopia 17 rig due, as I understand it from his mother, explosion of a diesel transfer pump and associated fuel. His joint two work associates received much lesser burns.

He was not collected by RFDS until approx 0130 hrs 22/12/10.

Granted that the RFDS is unique and provides exceptional service to those injured in the [far] inland, the question relates to why an aircraft from Rockhampton had to be employed for this collection and transfer, considering the significance and proximity of the Charleville base, staff, and aircraft?

Broken Hill, Pt Augusta, even Alice Springs, would have been closer.

What was the contingency necessitating usage of a R/H aircraft and depletion of availability to that base's subtended service area when incident/accident site lies in the ambit of the Charleville base?

 

D B

Comment by Dan Boyd on November 2, 2009 at 9:28am

Please have a look at the new rfds website www.flyingdoctor.org.au would love to hear what you think.

Comment by Colin J Ely on September 30, 2009 at 9:53pm

I heard recently that my old 'Alma Mater', Braybrook Primary School was closing. I remember there was a scroll near the office of past head masters one of whom was a Mr Flynn. Mr Flynn's son John was a pupil at the school. I have been trying to find out from the Victorian Education Department what happened to the scroll, so far without success :-(

Comment by Dan Boyd on September 15, 2009 at 3:55pm

Newsflash **********

15 September 2009
Contract awarded for extra patient transfer hours
The Queensland Government has awarded the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland section) a contract for additional patient flying time above their existing arrangements along the state’s east coast.

Queensland Health’s Director-General Mick Reid said an exhaustive, competitive process that began late last year had resulted in a five-year contract being offered to the Royal Flying Doctor Service for additional hours out of three coastal bases.

“This has resulted from significant growth of about 10% annually in the services required,” Mr Reid said.

“We already have a four-year contract with the Flying Doctor for 6400 hours of inter-facility aeromedical transfers using aircraft from bases in Townsville, Rockhampton and Brisbane.

“These services are fully funded by Queensland Health.
“Along with the growth in demand for services, we had also received independent advice that several well-experienced aeromedical service-providers, including the Royal Flying Doctor Service, had the capacity and skills to provide these additional hours from along the eastern seaboard.

“Those factors, and the additional funding involved, required that we put this contract to open tender under Queensland Health’s strict purchasing policy – and the bids were very competitive.”

The Flying Doctor had been providing the additional hours but not on contract. The new contract estimates about 3785 hours of extra aeromedical retrieval time.

Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section) Chief Executive Officer Nino Di Marco said the Service was delighted to prove it could compete successfully among aeromedical service-providers.

“It reinforces that we can focus on providing the very best quality service and still be cost competitive,” Mr Di Marco said.
“It also allows us to deliver the benefits from economies of scale and efficiencies that come from providing a fully-integrated aeromedical service.
“Last year we purchased two additional aircraft to respond to growth in aeromedical services so we are ready to go, and very pleased that today’s announcement means we will be continuing to provide this service to the people of Queensland.”

Mr Reid said Queensland Health’s overall intention with the new contract was to purchase quality services while maintaining the highest safety standards.

“We’re always looking for greater efficiencies with aeromedical retrieval arrangements as part of our aim to get value-for-money on behalf of the people of Queensland,” Mr Reid said.

“The management of this contract requires very detailed reporting so we can guarantee the arrangements are open and accountable.”

Comment by Warwick Richardson on September 15, 2009 at 3:34pm

Doing a fantastic job ,my family have used the service three times,we are very gratfull to them,please keep up the good work. Warwick.

Comment by Christopher Leeds on August 16, 2009 at 7:12pm

Good to see this group is growing have not been here for a while I agree John I think RFDS is the QANTAS of aeromedical services safe reliable dependable and Australian. Rob congratulations and what type of beacon's do you use,a couple of years ago I pegged my air strip with cheap solar lights they were not the best but you could land effectively with them not quite powerful enough, I left them on all the time then I had a mob of Black Angus cows on agistment which was OK until they calved out, well these calf's used to stand around these lights at night and just kick them until they were extinguished.

Comment by Rob Moore on August 16, 2009 at 6:38pm

Just a quick Book Review. I was lucky enough to win the auction for Jame Mclean Kemshead's novel "When Blood's Enough".
I really enjoyed it- an easy to read action story set in familiar territory. I read all the Wilber Smiths when I was younger and Jame could be our Aussie version if he keeps it up. Good book and a good cause. I built an 1100M strip here on "Grassmere" many years ago and have the battery powered beacons to mark out at night if needed.
Have used the Charleville base twice with good outcomes both times

Comment by Dan Boyd on July 30, 2009 at 5:28pm

A big thanks to everyone joining the RFDS Group, we have a busy couple of weeks coming up in terms of Fundraising activities, we start next week at the EKKA in Brisbane, If you are in the city during over the next couple be sure to pop to our stand and say hi.

We will have a Lucky Wheel at this years EKKA thanks to ANZ which is your chance to spin up a $50 ANZ Pre-paid Visa and also an amazing raffle with a trip to Hawaii to be won.

I personally will be at the Mt Isa base from next Wednesday, the Mt Isa Rodeo will be on with 25,000 people flocking to the region it will be a great opportunity to meet all sorts of wonderful people and hear their stories about the Flying Doctor.

Lastly the Reedybrook Ashes will be happening on the Sat 15 and Sun 16 of August, the event year in and year old has raised a considerable about for the Flying Doctor and we are looking forward to having a presence there again this year to thank those involved.

Comment by Roger Rankin Crook on July 20, 2009 at 6:03pm

I agree with Rowell. I have referred to my Thesaurus for words to describe how I feel, I'll get back to you. But then again, we shouldn't be surprised at anything these pollies of our get up to.

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