LifeFlight Australia breaks records in 2022

Additionally, LifeFlight’s rotary-wing operations alone – RACQ LifeFlight Rescue and LifeFlight Surat Gas Aeromedical Service (SGAS) – completed 2,211 critical missions that year, accounting for 3,406 mission flight hours in total.

Cardiac and chest pain was the most common category of callout in Queensland for the two helicopter services, accounting for 303 missions. General medical emergencies or illnesses came in second place, accounting for 261 cases, followed by motor vehicle incidents (242), respiratory diseases excluding Covid-19 (149), and neurological issues (118).

RACQ Spokesperson Lauren Cooney said that, in particular, it was ‘really disappointing’ to see motor vehicle incidents account for so many missions.

She added: “We know that overwhelmingly the fatal five account for so many of these fatal crashes: [they are] speeding, drink and drug driving, distraction, fatigue, and not wearing a seatbelt. When you are behind the wheel you need to make sure that all your efforts are being put into getting to your destination safely.”

RACQ LifeFlight Rescue Air Ambulance’s fixed-wing crews, based in Brisbane and Townsville, also came to the aid of 487 people – a record number, up from the previous year’s figure of 441 patients served. Brisbane’s RACQ LifeFlight Rescue Air Ambulance jet crew helped 221 people, while Townsville’s jet helped 266.

According to RACQ LifeFlight Rescue Air Ambulance Operations Manager Tyson Smith: “Most of those transfers did contain our Critical Care Doctor and Nurse, who responded to anything from stroke patients to newborn babies who needed a higher level of care, to come into a major city for that treatment.”

RACQ LifeFlight Rescue also welcomed 25 new critical care doctors in August 2022.