Royal Flying Doctor Service

Mr RYAN PARK ( Keira—Minister for Health, Minister for Regional Health, and Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast) (11:29:17): I thank the member for Barwon for his question. Yesterday the Premier and I, along with other members of the Government, the Opposition and the crossbench, joined the Royal Flying Doctor Service to celebrate 90 years—nine decades—of service to the people of New South Wales in some of the most remote communities in New South Wales, like those the member for Barwon and other regional members in this place represent, which are located many kilometres from where we are today and which do not have access to major hospitals or medical services. They are often in what many of us would know as thin or no markets, and for 90 years the Royal Flying Doctor Service has played a role servicing and supporting those communities.

Last year the Government provided $15 million in additional funding to the Royal Flying Doctor Service to make sure it can continue to carry out its important work. As we work through this year's budget, we will continue to look at what we might be able to do in that space and what role others can play in terms of additional funding to provide rural and regional services to the Royal Flying Doctor Service. That will be part of what we do in preparation for the budget. I will outline to the House a number of the Royal Flying Doctor Service's key initiatives. Members will know that it provides a rural and regional air service, predominantly flying some of our best, brightest and finest clinicians into remote communities to do incredibly important work. It also runs clinics that provide medical, dental, and drug and alcohol services to some of the most far-flung parts of New South Wales.

In addition to that, the Royal Flying Doctor Service transfers people between hospitals. I have been to both Broken Hill and Dubbo, where the main two airports are located for inter-hospital transfers of people who are seriously injured or unwell. The Royal Flying Doctor Service is an important service, and this Government is committed to making sure it is part of the way that health services are delivered right across New South Wales. I thank the member for Barwon for his tenacious advocacy, not just on behalf of the Royal Flying Doctor Service but also, to be blunt, on behalf of the men and women who call rural, regional or remote New South Wales their home. He, along with many other crossbench and Government members—and, no doubt, some in the Opposition—have been strong advocates for better rural health services and the Royal Flying Doctor Service. [Extension of time]

The Royal Flying Doctor Service is led by a strong executive team that is supported by an incredible board and staff, but also, as the member for Barwon knows, an incredible number of volunteers. Some members may not realise that those volunteers often put mobile lights onto some of the State's most remote airstrips so that when the call comes in the most difficult of times the Royal Flying Doctor Service can send healthcare clinicians and professionals over the horizon to those in great need. I thank the member for Barwon and all those involved in yesterday's important celebration of 90 years of service. I look forward to continuing to work with the Royal Flying Doctor Service to provide better health services to the people of regional, rural and remote New South Wales.