The Royal Flying Doctor Service welcomes the Australian Government’s Budget announcement of an additional $29 million over 2 years, to provide cost pressure relief in the delivery of essential health services.
This funding commitment will help to address increases in a range of costs and services in recent years including fuel, wages and movements in international exchange rates affecting aircraft maintenance and renewal costs. The funding will also go some way to addressing the backlog of services needed following the COVID pandemic.
The recent RFDS Best for the Bush research report highlighted both the effectiveness of primary health care services across rural and remote Australia, and the lack of access that too many Australians experience. The report demonstrates significantly poorer health outcomes for people with limited access to primary health services, and this funding injection from the Australian Government will support much needed RFDS primary health care services in the bush.
“The Royal Flying Doctor Service thanks Minister Mark Butler, Minister Emma McBride and the Albanese Government for their continued commitment to the health of rural and remote Australians,” says Frank Quinlan, Federation Executive Director of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. “All Australians should expect reasonable access to primary healthcare services no matter where they live, and this additional funding will assist us to deliver to the communities that need it most.”
The Australian Government has a long standing history of supporting and partnering with the RFDS, going back to the 1930’s, and the RFDS is committed to providing high-quality and critical health services to rural and remote Australia, in partnership with the Australian Government under a new 10 Year Strategic Partnership.
