The Minns Labor Government is investing $15 million to support not-for-profit charity the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) to continue the lifesaving care they provide to people across NSW.
The funding boost is being delivered as part of the 2026-27 State Budget to help the RFDS deliver its range of services including primary care, dental, mental health, retrieval services and patient and clinician transport across regional, rural and remote communities.
Operating for 98 years, the Royal Flying Doctor Service also employs more than 390 staff in NSW to deliver these essential services.
This funding boost is in addition to funding the NSW Government provides to the Royal Flying Doctor Service to deliver services to communities across NSW, including:
- Rural Aerial Health Service to transport clinicians to rural, regional and remote locations to provide health services;
- Inter-hospital transfers operating from Dubbo and Broken Hill air bases, transporting patients who are a seriously ill or in a life-threatening condition to a suitable hospital;
- Non-Emergency Patient Transfers to provide end-to-end non-emergency patient transport to and from public hospitals and health facilities; and
- Medical Services Clinics, Oral Health Services and Alcohol and Other Drug Services in Far West NSW.
This additional $15 million in funding will ensure the Royal Flying Doctor Service can continue to provide comprehensive health services to rural, regional and remote NSW.
This funding is part of a broader investment by the Minns Labor Government into helping regional, rural and remote communities access the health care they need and deserve, including:
- recruiting an additional 500 regional paramedics;
- investing $200 million to deliver key health worker accommodation;
- doubling rural health worker incentives;
- delivering study subsidies for regional health workers;
- boosting doctors in our regional GP surgeries as well as hospitals through the rural generalists single employer model;
- investing $83 million to boost maternity care in the bush, including $44.8 million to recruit 53 additional midwives; and
- investing $37.5 million to expand the Mobile Dental Van program to support dental care for people in regional NSW to receive free education, dental care and oral health hygiene products.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park:
“For almost a century, the Royal Flying Doctor Service have provided regional, remote and rural communities access to essential healthcare.
“I’m delighted to continue to support the Royal Flying Doctor Service through this $15 million contribution, ensuring this service remains in the air supporting communities in NSW where their services are most needed.
“This funding boost will help communities across NSW access the healthcare they need, ensuring distance is never a barrier to receiving medical support.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Barwon Roy Butler:
“We need to accept that the RFDS is an important arm of the state’s health system that extends health care into remote areas. For 90 years, the RFDS has relied mainly on private donations, but that is not sustainable with demand rising as people become older and sicker, while it becomes harder to recruit medical professionals.
“Secure state funding would acknowledge that remote people deserve healthcare too, that distance should not be a barrier to care, and that the RFDS is best placed to deliver it efficiently and effectively.”
Quotes attributable to Greg Sam, CEO Royal Flying Doctor Service (South Eastern Section):
“The RFDS welcomes today’s $15 million funding announcement. It once again recognises the important role the RFDS plays as part of the NSW Health system.
“Healthcare in remote NSW demands a different approach. The Flying Doctor was purpose-built for that challenge, combining aviation, healthcare and deep community connections to deliver care wherever it’s needed. For nearly a century, we’ve developed the people, infrastructure and expertise needed to reach communities that would otherwise struggle to access care.”
