Pioneering rapid response medical care
For four decades, our mission has been defined by a single, urgent imperative: to bring hospital level care to patients, when every second counts, no matter how remote or critical the circumstances. From the moment our first helicopter was commissioned in 1986 we resolved to break new ground in aeromedical care. Just days after going online, the crew flew back-to-back missions to transfer 14-year-old Andrew and 11-year-old Heidi to Westmead Hospital after they were critically injured in a car crash near Lithgow. Both made a full recovery.
Our reach quickly extended beyond state lines, launching a national aeromedical retrieval registrar training program and executing our first international retrieval. Whether responding to major disasters such as the 1998 Sydney to Hobart yacht race incident and the Waterfall train crash or providing vital aid overseas – flying patients out of Denpasar after the Bali bombings and sending disaster response caches to Banda Aceh following the 2004 tsunami – our crews have been a lifeline across Australia and abroad.
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Serving the community
At the heart of our operations is a deep commitment to serving the community, a dedication that has earned us the profound trust of the public and the honor of being named one of Australia’s most reputable charities. From our earliest days, we have grown alongside the needs of the community, celebrating milestones not in numbers, but in lives touched – from our 5,000th patient in 1996 to now helping nearly 10,000 patients every year.
Our service lives in the crucial everyday moments and the extraordinary efforts that define us: Patients like 16-year-old Izzy, whose life hung in the balance when she was struck by a boat propellor, the rapid response of our helicopter crew meant the difference between life and death. Or 2-year-old Lily, who wouldn’t be alive if not for the CareFlight doctors, who after nearly 50 minutes of CPR, detected the first sign of life – a tiny, flickering heartbeat.
Your support can help us save even more lives into the future.
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Innovation: Frontiers of aeromedicine
Innovation at CareFlight is never just about adopting new technology – it is about pioneering new ways to save lives when every second counts. CareFlight doctors and pilots have consistently transformed the landscape of aeromedical medicine by integrating cutting-edge clinical practices with advanced aviation operations. From the development of the specialised stretcher bridge, a portable intensive care module, that is now almost commonplace in aeromedical retrieval to pioneering the use of night vision goggle (NVG) technology in aeromedical settings, forever changing night-time rescue operations and successfully flying our inaugural NVG medical mission to transport a critically ill infant from Katherine to Darwin in 2009.
A relentless pursuit of clinical excellence also led to the Head Injury Retrieval Trial project, pushing the boundaries of neurological trauma care. CareFlight became the first Australian service to routinely carry plasma on missions, bringing immediate, life-saving transfusions directly to the field, another example of how we ensure that our clinical sophistication always matches our aviation excellence.
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Legacy: A forty-year blueprint for the future
What began forty years ago as a single helicopter operation has transformed into an enduring national institution and a benchmark for aeromedical excellence. CareFlight’s legacy is built into the thousands of registrars, nurses, pilots and engineers trained over the past forty years who carry the highest standard of care to every corner of the country.
CareFlight’s medical emergency experienced educators have trained more than 10,000 everyday Aussies in remote and regional locations through our specialised trauma care workshops, including thousands of paramedics, firefighters, police, military personnel, and local emergency volunteers. These people are often the first on the scene and the vital skills learned can help save a life before we arrive.
Through the help of everyday Australians supporting our service we hope to save lives when every second counts for decades to come.
Find out more about the work we do across Australia.
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