FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CareFlight?
NRMA CareFlight is a not-for-profit emergency medical retrieval service. Our doctors respond by helicopter, road ambulance or fixed wing air ambulance, depending on the circumstances of the mission.
Has CareFlight closed down?
No. NRMA CareFlight is currently in its 22nd year of operation and has a long term contract with the Ambulance Service of NSW to provide doctors to the medical retrieval system. NRMA CareFlight supplies half the retrieval doctors in the Greater Sydney area and all the retrieval doctors in the Central West. In addition, NRMA CareFlight has a strong focus on research and medical education and is currently conducting a world-first Head Injury Retrieval Trial which operates out of our Westmead base.
Is CareFlight owned by Canadians?
No. CareFlight is an independent Australian charity which has been serving the people of NSW since 1986. In December 2006 the Ambulance Service of NSW awarded a tender for the provision of retrieval helicopters to a Canadian helicopter company, CHC. However, NRMA CareFlight has a seven-year contract with the Ambulance Service to provide specialist doctors to the medical retrieval system, from bases at Orange and Bankstown. The only connection between the two companies is that we are both service providers to the Ambulance Service: CHC provides the helicopters and aviation crew, and we supply the doctors who fly on the helicopters.
Does CareFlight compete with the Ambulance Service/CHC?
No. NRMA CareFlight does not compete with either the Ambulance Service of NSW or its contracted commercial helicopter supplier, CHC. CareFlight is contracted to provide medical retrieval doctors to the Ambulance Service and has a partnership with the Ambulance Service in delivering the Head Injury Retrieval Service.
Will any of the money I donate to CareFlight go to a Canadian helicopter company?
No. CHC is a multi-national company which contracts helicopters to the Ambulance Service on a commercial basis. CHC is not a registered charity and does not have any need for fundraising. No money donated to NRMA CareFlight goes to CHC.
Does CareFlight still service Central Western NSW from Orange?
Yes. All the doctors rostered on the Orange based helicopter (contracted to the Ambulance Service of NSW) are employed by NRMA CareFlight.
Does CareFlight still operate out of the Orange base hangar?
Yes. Although CareFlight has relinquished the lease of the base, the hangar is still owned by Orange City Council. Under our contract with the Ambulance Service, NRMA CareFlight doctors operate out of this base when undertaking shifts on the Orange based helicopter.
Does CareFlight still service Sydney and rural areas from Sydney?
Yes. NRMA CareFlight provides doctors on rostered duty for the road ambulances and for the helicopters and fixed wing air ambulances which are contracted to the Ambulance Service. These services operate out of the Bankstown base and from Mascot Airport in Sydney. In addition, NRMA CareFlight doctors work on our own HIRT helicopters which operate out of our base in Westmead, servicing Sydney and adjacent regional areas.
Is CareFlight just a helicopter medical service?
No. From its inception in 1986 CareFlight has been a medical retrieval and trauma service which has also operated emergency helicopters. NRMA CareFlight has a strong focus on teaching and medical research and has played a major role in the evolution of critical care transport in Australia. We train specialist trauma doctors and senior registrars in critical care in the transport and pre-hospital environment, and CareFlight holds teaching accreditation with the three Critical Care Medical Colleges of Anaesthesia, Emergency Medicine and Intensive Care.
What do you guys do now that you don’t have any helicopters?
NRMA CareFlight still operates two twin-engine helicopters which are based at our Westmead facility. These helicopters are used for our HIRT operations, for back-up, training and search and rescue responses. Please see answer to previous question for our additional activities.
Does NRMA own CareFlight?
No. NRMA and CareFlight formed a partnership in 1990 as part of both organisations’ commitment to supporting ill and injured people. NRMA has helped CareFlight to grow and together they have formed a partnership which is based on much more than simple financial investment. NRMA is CareFlight’s major sponsor.
What does HIRT mean?
HIRT is the Head Injury Retrieval Trial. This is a major clinical trial which aims to demonstrate that the delivery of trauma physician management to accident scenes can improve outcomes for head injury patients. NRMA CareFlight is conducting the trial in partnership with NRMA and the Ambulance Service of NSW, and the trial involves sending a specialist doctor and paramedic directly to sites where people have sustained a severe head injury.
How will having Night Vision Goggles improve HIRT?
Night Vision Goggles (NVG) will enable us to operate after dark which means that we will be able to treat more patients.
What is the money which I donate to CareFlight be used for?
Your donation will be used by CareFlight for projects including:
- supporting the second helicopter allocated to the HIRT trial;
- funding expansion of HIRT to additional geographic areas and night missions;
- special projects such as Night Vision Goggles;
- medical research and education;
- meeting the cost of training our medical and aviation teams;
- building and replenishing the Disaster Cache which has been sent to disaster areas around the world in times of emergency, such as the 2004 Tsunami.
CareFlight International – what happens in Darwin and Sydney?
CareFlight International retrieves critically ill and injured patients from anywhere in the world. We provide specialist medical teams to accompany the patients on specially configured charter jets or on commercial airlines. We have established an international reputation as a respected and progressive medical retrieval service. The revenue generated by CareFlight International missions goes directly to supporting our charitable operations in NSW.
What’s the difference between you, Telstra Child Flight and South Care?
NRMA CareFlight is an integrated medical-aviation organisation which provides specialist doctors and senior registrars to undertake trauma and medical retrieval missions on our own helicopters, on transport provided by the Ambulance Service of NSW and internationally on medi-jet or airline services. We have a strong involvement in medical research and education. Child Flight provides dedicated helicopters to transport neonatal and paediatric patients while South Care was established as a fund-raising entity to meet some of the cost of contracting a helicopter from CHC which is based at Canberra.
Don’t you guys do the same job as Angel Flight?
Angel Flight provides volunteer pilots and donated aircraft to transport non-critical patients to medical facilities. This is very different from NRMA CareFlight’s role which requires dedicated helicopters and specialist doctors.
Is Westpac Lifesaver still going?
This helicopter is owned by the National Surf Life Saving Association and is used for beach surveillance and to support surf club patrols.