Leading the Way

CareFlight’s focus is to improve patient outcomes by innovating and providing rapid response critical care. Over the last 21 years, we:

• developed the doctor/paramedic helicopter crewing model that is now the standard in NSW;

The CareFlight stretcher bridge system
• developed the single phone call system to activate medical retrieval services;
• developed the world’s first critical care stretcher bridge system, derivatives of which are now standard across Australasia and used in Europe and North America, with one version recently introduced to service by the US Air Force;
• developed Australia’s only civilian disaster medical cache and deployable surgical capability. The cache has been deployed to Banda Aceh following the tsunami in 2004, and the Jogyakarta earthquake in 2006. The cache is now modularised with an international/interstate module and dedicated module for NSW response. The NSW module was made possible by funding from the Motor Accidents Authority;
• developed the first medical audible alarm integrated into the intercom system to allow doctors to hear medical equipment alarms in the noisy helicopter environment;
• carried out Australia’s first helicopter intra-aortic balloon pump transport retrieval;
• built Australia’s first helicopter medical simulator, allowing crews to practise medical procedures & uncommon medical scenarios in a life-like helicopter simulator;
• ran Australia’s premier pre-hospital trauma course attended by retrieval doctors from Canberra, Newcastle, Orange, Tamworth, Gosford, Wagga, Coffs Harbour, Queensland, South Australia, New Zealand and the Australian Defence Force;
• contributed to 25% of the world research literature examining the role of physicians in the staffing of helicopters;
• published more papers in peer reviewed journals than the combined output of all other Australasian retrieval services;
• were the first emergency helicopter service in NSW to go on 24-hour duty, the first to introduce an instrument flight rules twin-engined helicopter and soon to be one of the first civilian operators in Australia to use night vision goggles;
• developed, sought financing for and currently run HIRT, the world’s first randomised clinical trial to evaluate the benefits of rapid response physician care to head injury patients;
• have maintained a 17 year relationship with our major sponsor NRMA based on our aligned objectives of improving patient outcomes.