Jeremy Rockliff,Minister for Health
The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding today between the Tasmanian Liberal Government and the Royal Flying Doctor Service will strengthen the delivery of health services to rural and remote communities.
The MoU represents a new 10-year strategic partnership with the RFDS which will support the Government’s commitment to providing the best possible health outcomes for Tasmanians, regardless of where they live.
The MoU delivers on a key commitment made during the 2021 State Election, and will support continuing aero-medical support services, and RFDS delivery of primary health care in rural and regional areas, with a particular focus on dental and mental health.
The new agreement allows for minimum funding from the Tasmanian Government of $300,000 per year for each year of the MoU to support a range of initiatives including:
- the Oral Health Rural Support program;
- population health programs aimed at reducing smoking levels for youth in rural and remote areas; and
- the expansion of the RFDS Rural Health Program to include mental wellness support for Grade 10 to 12 students and young rural workers.
The MoU will also support a project to explore the expansion of the RFDS Integrated Primary Care Consortium to additional local government areas, including the Derwent Valley and Southern Midlands, and to help us better understand how we can improve services for people living in rural and regional areas.
The Tasmanian Liberal Government has been a strong supporter of the RFDS for many years and this agreement demonstrates our long-term commitment to working with the RFDS to improve health outcomes for Tasmanians living in remote and rural areas.
