Record breaking year for Lifeflight Australia

The service released the numbers as it saluted the efforts of staff following a record-breaking year.

A Lifeflight spokesperson said Brisbane crews flew on 464 critical missions between January and December, with a total of 1,877 critical missions completed across Australia.

Earlier this week, rescue choppers were dispatched to Russell and North Stradbroke islands to help two men involved in separate burns incidents.

Brisbane's RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter crews also performed more than a quarter of all neonatal transfers throughout Queensland in 2018.

Lifeflight’s aeromedical services director Brian Guthrie said rescue service crews were passionate about providing the best care to Queenslanders.

“In the 2018 calendar year, our community helicopters spent more than 4,345 hours performing critical missions,” he said.

“These numbers just show how important this service is to regional and rural parts of the state.

“The choppers are essentially a flying intensive care unit and the treatment we provide, we believe, is second to none.”

LifeFlight is community-based and charity funded, supported by the LifeFlight Foundation.

A Lifeflight Australia spokesperson said cardiac and respiratory conditions, serious infections and illnesses, strokes, neurological problems and crashes were the top reasons rescue helicopters were sent out to bring patients to Brisbane.

RACQ spokesperson Lucinda Ross said the Club was proud to have supported the choppers for 25 years. 

“The amazing work the RACQ LifeFlight Rescue crews do every day, tending to Queenslanders involved in road crashes and other incidents, is very close to our hearts,” she said.

“That’s why we’re so happy to support this life-saving service.”

1. Cardiac conditions (143)

2. Respiratory conditions (76)

3. Serious infections and illnesses (66)

4. Stroke/neurological conditions (43)

5. On and off-road motor vehicle accidents (33)