Ms Heather Cudmore1
1Royal Flying Doctor Service (Western Operations), Broome, Australia
Abstract:
September 2023 will mark the three-year anniversary of the RFDS partnership with PHI flying out of Broome, in North West Australia. Together, RFDS Clinicians and PHI Pilots and Technical Crew provide Search and Rescue (SAR) and Medevac services to Oil and Gas workers during both their transit offshore, and work rotation in the Browse Basin. This patient cohort has necessitated an increased focus on prehospital and industrial medicine for RFDS doctors and nurses, within a novel care environment.
An agreement with Government agencies to assist with maritime or land-based emergencies where helicopter SAR services may be useful forms another aspect of this work. Unexpectedly, one third of all activations to date have come from AMSA (Australian Maritime Safety Authority) via their JRCC (Joint Rescue Coordination Centre) stationed in Canberra.
Case studies of real-life AMSA rescues of foreign nationals with critical care needs will highlight the multi-agency and multi-disciplinary nature of this work. The purpose of this presentation is to raise awareness of this unique and successful Australian model in delivering SAR and Medevac services to those working remotely offshore or traversing Australian waters in the region; as well as to the broader West Kimberley community – a sparse population spanning vast spaces. It will demonstrate the adaptiveness and diversity in our service for responding to the health care needs of those that live and work in, or visit, this part of the country now and into the future.
Biographies:
‘Biographies to come’