The Royal Flying Doctor Service has been awarded a 10-year, $625 million contract to provide aeromedical retrieval and inter-hospital transfer services in the Top End, Big Rivers, and East Arnhem regions, but the government has refused to explain why the contract was awarded so late and how much taxpayers will pay Careflight while it continues the service until next July.
Health Minister Steve Edgington did not say why RFDS was preferred over Careflight, which has provided aeromedical services for the last 20 years, while its contract ended on June 30 of this year. Mr Edgington did not explain why RFDS would not be able to take over the services until July 7, 2027.
Careflight will continue to provide the services under the contract in the Top End until then – as well as other services – but Mr Edgington’s office refused to say how much the government will pay them for the extra year and why it could not manage the contract better to ensure RFDS was ready to take over this year.
As part of the new contract, RFDS will update its aging fleet by introducing new aircraft, the government said. RFDS has been providing aeromedical retrieval services throughout the Central Australia and Barkly regions for years.
RFDS SA/NT chief executive Tony Vaughan ASM said the contract highlights the RFDS’s established expertise and commitment to providing emergency aeromedical services throughout Central Australia, the Barkly region, and beyond for the last 87 years.
“We’re proud and honoured to deliver the next chapter of aeromedical and patient transport services for our Top End, Big Rivers and East Arnhem communities, working alongside NT Health, our rotary-wing partner Toll Aviation and service-delivery partners as one seamless service,” Mr Vaughan said.
Mr Edgington said NT Health will collaborate closely with RFDS to facilitate the transition to the new arrangements, which will involve thorough planning for the workforce, operations, and service continuity.
He also said Careflight would continue with “other contracts to provide inter-hospital pateient road transfer services between Palmerston and Darwin hospitals, “as well as provision of interstate aeromedical evacuations services from the Top End to interstate hospitals”.
The cost of that was also not disclosed.
Mr Edgington said that an independent probity adviser reviewed the procurement process to “ensure it was conducted rigorously, fairly and transparently” and that the results provided the best value for NT residents. But his office refused to explain the extra costs.
NT Parliament sits next week and the week after, so 6 Question Times coming up. With a weeks notice, it’s not unreasonable for the minister to have specific answers to the questions posed in the article all ready to go. Time will tell.