THE Royal Flying Doctor Service has been named Australia’s most reputable charity in its 90th year of service
The annual Charity Reputation Index surveys Australians to measure the overall reputation of the country’s 40 biggest charities and ranks them accordingly.
This is the eighth year of the reputable index and the eighth year the RFDS has ranked first.
The consistency of this result highlights the strength of the emotional bond between Australians and the flying doctor.
The RFDS reputation score of 96.8 remains at the highest levels recorded by the Reputation Institute for any organisation.
This achievement shows that the RFDS still has the support and confidence of the Australian community as it continues to provide vital services and is just as important to the livelihood of Australians today as it was when the first flight took off in 1928.
“It is a privilege to be again be named Australia’s most reputable charity and it is an indication of the value, trust and respect that Australian’s hold for the Flying Doctor and its 90 years of service to people in the bush”, said RFDS’s national chief executive officer Martin Laverty.
“To again be recognised as the most reputable charity in Australia is a fitting way to conclude the celebrations of the 90th year and great recognition of the value of the work of the RFDS to the Australian people.”
The WA fleet has been busy this year, transporting 8535 patients – an average of 23.4 people a day and 163.7 per week.
The RFDS said 1372 patients were under the age of 15 in WA and 190 of those were less than a month old.
Regional and remote areas benefit greatly from the service, with the Kimberley recording 1708 patients this year, the Mid West 1547, the Pilbara 1418, the Goldfields 1321, the Great Southern 819, the South West 802 and the Wheatbelt needing assistance 759 times.
The most common diagnosis groups were 1827 injuries or poisoning, 1809 circulatory system issues and 973 digestive system issues.
On December 2, RFDS WA chief executive officer Rebecca Tomkinson and dignitaries were in Broome for the historic touchdown of the Rio Tinto LifeFlight PC-24 jet aircraft.
The RFDS’ acquisition and aero medical fit-out of two jet aircraft is an investment of $26m and is funded with the assistance of Rio Tinto and the Commonwealth government.
RFDS has re-purposed the Pilatus PC-24 jet with a state-of-the-art aero medical fit-out that serves as an in-flight emergency ward.
It has the capacity for three stretchered patients and two medical teams, can fly at a top speed of 815 kilometres per hour and can make short landings and take-offs on unsealed airstrips.
The PC-24 will almost halve the time for long-haul, patient critical scenarios and boost response capacity of the RFDS fleet within WA.
It signals a new era following significant preparation and transition to a new fleet structure and capability.
RFDS pilots and engineers have undertaken advanced training for the operation and maintenance of the aircraft in the United States and Switzerland and the RFDS doctors and nurses are undertaking aero medical in-flight training.
The first jet will start service in early 2019 with the second jet aircraft arriving in late January.
RFDS WA also has 16 Pilatus PC-12 jets which flew 7.63m kilometres this year and landed 15,886 times (figures available prior to Christmas).
