The Western Australia section of the Royal Flying Doctor Service is celebrating 200 patient retrievals in the Fortescue Heli-Med Service EC145 helicopters. The milestone comes 18 months since the hospital-to-hospital service was launched, when Australian mining company Fortescue Metals Group provided two EC145 helicopters for the RFDS WA fleet, alongside its 20 fixed wing aircraft, operated as the Fortescue Heli-Med Service.

The most common retrieval site is Rottnest Island, followed by Bunbury and Narrogin. In total, patients have been transferred from 45 different locations, with sports grounds often used as a landing pad in regional towns. The helicopters can land on rooftop helipads at Perth tertiary hospitals, drastically reducing road travel time in an ambulance.

Mostly used for retrievals within a 250 kilometre radius of Jandakot airport, the Heli-Med service was able to expand its service area when charity Rapid Relief Team (RRT) donated 800L weatherproof fuel bunds to the wheatbelt towns of Cunderdin, Katanning and Dalwallinu in September.

"On certain flights, mainly because of weather, the rotary team need to refuel enroute before arriving at the retrieval destination," says rotary fleet manager Elaine Cadzow. "The donation of the fuel bunds has allowed the Fortescue Heli-Med Service to carry the additional fuel reserves required on windy days to fly to Katanning, Cunderdin or Dalwallinu, pick up the patient and then onto a Perth tertiary hospital."