In the 2025-26 Commonwealth Budget, the RFDS is driven by the recently finalised Strategic Partnership with the Australian Government to address the significant health needs of those living in rural and remote parts of our country, seeking further investment in primary healthcare services.
Many premature deaths and hospitalisations in rural and remote Australia are from causes that are preventable and could be effectively managed through better primary healthcare.
For example, the death rate from ischaemic heart disease in very remote areas is 1.9 times higher than in major cities, and responding to heart, stroke and vascular disease is the most common reason for an RFDS aeromedical retrieval. People from very remote areas are also 2.9 times more likely than people in major cities to be hospitalised, and these hospitalisations are 2.8 times more likely to be for reasons that are potentially preventable.
The RFDS currently provides extensive primary healthcare clinics and telehealth services for the rural and remote communities we serve, including general practice, nurse-led clinics, mental health and dental services, however significant service gaps remain. With Commonwealth support, the RFDS will provide more routine and reliable primary healthcare services to support rural and remote communities, meeting demonstrated needs.
The RFDS is seeking $206.9 million over the next four years to expand the partnership with the Australian Government and deliver much-needed additional services to address identified, significant and ongoing access gaps in primary healthcare for rural and remote Australians through the following initiatives:
> Co-designed primary healthcare services in areas of unmet need, increasing the locations and frequency of outreach services and ensuring the sustainability of at-risk GP practices;
> Supporting dedicated multi-disciplinary teams for enhanced comprehensive care;
> Investing in digital and virtual healthcare projects nationally.
