Annual Report 2015 CONTENTS Service – we: Unity – we: OUR VISION • are dedicated first and foremost to the welfare of our • operate as one organisation with a united, national and 1 Our Vision And Mission To be ’s most trusted rapid response critical care service patients international perspective 3 Chairman and CEO Report • hold true to and sustain our charitable purpose • respect each other and are loyal to our organisation • commit to engage with and be accountable to all we serve • support one another in the knowledge that “your success is 6 Our Social Impact OUR MISSION - the community, business, government and our partners my success” 7 Missions • are a professional, passionate, egalitarian organisation • build teamwork with our partners in the chain of survival To save lives, speed recovery and serve the community by operating in an environment of innovation 13 Readiness providing the highest standard of rapid response critical care • aim at all times to provide value to all our supporters and Integrity – we: 15 Care be worthy of their trust • adhere to the highest ethical standards 18 Education • foster a culture of statutory and regulatory compliance OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES Excellence – we: • exercise fairness in all our dealings 23 Innovation CareFlight has one set of Guiding Principles incorporating its values • adhere to the highest safety, operating and clinical 25 Community and cultural attributes. These guide behaviour and help to ensure standards • promote the education, training, development and 31 Board and Executive Team we operate to the highest standards. Our Guiding Principles are retention of our people 32 Financials based around our service to the community, excellence, unity • dedicate ourselves to continuous improvement, innovation and integrity, and they apply to all our activities and people. They and research describe our values, our culture and personality, both internally • always strive for excellence in what we do • contribute to the global emergency aeromedical and externally, the way we work and what we stand for. research pool

A tourist family of five clawed their way out of their 4WD when it rolled in Kakadu National Park in August. They activated their Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) which allowed ground and air

CareFlight Annual Annual CareFlight Report 2015 rescue teams to soon locate them. The CareFlight doctor and nurse treated the mother for head injuries.

1 2 Government tenders further’ new AW139 helicopter came our contract with the NT Government CHAIRMAN AND CEO REPORT An exceptional effort went into a bid on line. The AW139 underwent an are higher acuity stretcher patients for the long-term NSW Ambulance extensive refit by our engineering team needing urgent transfer to hospital. helicopter contract for Greater Sydney in our new Darwin hangar, preparing However, there are patients with less Over the year in review, CareFlight reached 4,737 patients. and southern NSW, ultimately awarded the aircraft for the tough conditions of urgent medical needs who still need This is the primary measure of our social impact. It is also the to Toll Helicopters in December the . It is already delivering for to be flown to hospital under medical 2014. Although this was a great sponsors TIO and our Top End donors escort. Since the start of our service in realisation of our mission to save lives, speed recovery and disappointment, the subsequent who funded the upgrade, completing the Top End, CareFlight has transported serve the community. debrief made it clear that it was in no 99 missions and 265 flying hours by this group of lower acuity non-stretcher way a reflection on CareFlight or the 30 April 2015. patients under nurse escort, on a short- quality of our proposal. Rather, we term contract basis. learnt how difficult it is to compete Rapid response service Year in review against larger and better-resourced Our Westmead rapid response During the course of the year we commercial operators. helicopter service is fully funded by the were pleased to reach ‘in principle’ As the year came to a close, we found ourselves looking confidently and community. As such, it fell outside the agreement with NT Health to bring optimistically at the opportunities ahead. The successes and the disappointments Through the process we gained scope of the NSW helicopter tender this group of patients within the of the past 12 months were critical in informing the new strategic plan that will invaluable experience in major tenders, process. framework of our main contract. This underpin further growth in our service footprint and increase our social impact. sharpening our focus on building gives us tenure for our CME work, and the financial strength necessary to We saw a marked increase in demand allows us to plan and invest in service compete for major government for this service with 358 missions in improvements for the longer term. contracts in future. total, a 24 percent increase over the previous year. We believe this CareFlight International Supporting the oil and gas sector reflects a better understanding and The tempo of our international and We commenced a six-year contract appreciation, by NSW Ambulance, of domestic medi-jet work is steady PEOPLE Attract and retain to deliver a tailored aeromedical the value of the service and its unique at between three and four missions Strategic Foundations the industry’s best by & CULTURE solution for the giant Ichthys oil and gas capabilities. a week. The bulk of the off-shore 2015-2018 developing an Employer of project off Australia’s north-west coast. component is concentrated in the Choice work environment The contract gives CareFlight both Indonesian Archipelago and the South immediate and long term strategic We saw a 24 Western Pacific. benefits. percent increase Embed safety Our doctors and nurses also and quality Sharpen our In the short term, the integrated in demand for conducted a number of extremely as core to SAFETY COMMUNITY focus on rotary wing and fixed wing medivac our Westmead lengthy commercial aircraft missions, every aspect & QUALITY & CUSTOMER community capability, staffed by CareFlight to and from places as far afield as of CareFlight’s and customer doctors, nurses and paramedics, rapid response Vancouver, Estonia and Brussels. Some DNA and relationships provides a new source of income and helicopter of these missions took six days to operations extra resources. complete. SAVING LIVES service. More importantly, within a very short We have an exceptionally dedicated SPEEDING period this service was there to and capable team managing this RECOVERY respond to a number of life-threatening Pleasingly, the NSW Government and complex international work with its emergencies. NSW Ambulance have indicated challenging behind-the-scenes logistics ongoing support for our specialist rapid and coordination requirements. Continue to Looking to the future, the contract response service. With this high profile Organising a long range mission demonstrate strengthens our beach-head in the service embedded in the system, we often involves transiting through Build balance the social mining, oil and gas sector. Here, see opportunity to secure corporate multiple jurisdictions, each with its sheet strength FINANCIAL BRAND & impact of CareFlight can establish our credentials sponsorship and reduce our current own clearance and documentation and control of STRENGTH REPUTATION CareFlight’s as an innovative and effective partner total reliance on donations to sustain requirements. our destiny service to the in caring for people in some of the most the service. community challenging environments on the planet. Financial overview CareFlight Medical Escort (CME) work Helicopter upgrade The majority of patients whom we treat Group revenue increased by $7.3 In July 2014, CareFlight’s ‘bigger, faster, and transport in the Top End under million (10.7%), from $68.0 million to CareFlight Annual Annual CareFlight Report 2015

3 4 $75.3 million, mainly due to our new We are delighted to welcome Dr Nick of Human Resources Manager. With oil and gas contract in north-west Coatsworth who joined the Board in her experience and skillset, she is well OUR SOCIAL IMPACT Australia. The net surplus for the year June 2015 and is the third NT-based equipped to lead our People Strategy was $1.4 million (2014 surplus $0.5 Board member. Nick is a Fellow of and help make CareFlight an Employer million), an increase of 164% over last the Royal Australasian College of of Choice. Social impact is the effect of an activity on the social fabric of year. Net equity increased by $3.9 Physicians and specialises both in the community and well-being of the individuals and family. million, up from $8.1 million to $12 respiratory medicine and infectious Mark Lever, General Manager Public million. The equity uplift essentially diseases. He currently holds the position Affairs and Communications, has Our social impact comes from saving lives and speeding represents a combination of the of acting Executive Director at the extensive experience in journalism, surplus and currency driven aircraft National Critical Care and Trauma politics and the corporate world. His recovery. Here is how we do it: revaluations (aircraft are valued in US$ Response Centre in Darwin. role is to guide brand development and then translated into A$). and build reputational capital to Nick is deeply committed to support our growth and diversification Board and senior management humanitarian causes. As a doctor goals. changes with Medecins Sans Frontieres, he has SAVING LIVES worked in Congo-Brazzaville, Chad Thank you Board and Sudan in the Darfur region. He was In February, Professor Danny Cass elected to the Board of Medecins Sans Firstly, we acknowledge our dedicated SPEEDING stepped down from the Board, a move Frontieres in Australia in 2008, serving staff for their commitment to MISSIONS RECOVERY linked to his decision to step down from as President in 2010 and 2011. Nick is CareFlight: our doctors, nurses, his position as Head of Trauma of the very involved with indigenous health in pilots and aircrew who are up for We treat and/or READINESS Children’s Hospital at Westmead as he remote communities in the NT. every mission, no matter how long or transitions to retirement. demanding; our engineers who keep transport around 5,000 Our aircraft and Senior management our aircraft safe and serviceable; our patients each year medical crews As a paediatric surgeon, Danny saw The management team was very education and training teams who firsthand the benefits of CareFlight’s stable, strengthened during the year travel the country teaching life-saving are on standby to rapid response care in getting with two additional appointments. skills where they are needed most; immediately respond paediatric trauma patients directly to and our support staff who work hard to life-threatening specialist children’s hospitals. We thank Natalie Gallagher brings 18 years of HR behind the scenes to keep it all going. emergencies Danny for his support of CareFlight and experience, predominantly from the We thank them for their willingness to CARE his service on the Board. legal and finance sectors, to the role always go above and beyond. We bring a hospital We also thank our partners and standard of care to sponsors for recognising the value of our patients The contributions of our donors, our work, investing in us and EDUCATION promoting our cause through their volunteers and supporters make networks. We train doctors, what can often be a life-saving nurses, paramedics difference to many people. Finally, we express our deep thanks and and first responders appreciation to our donors, volunteers INNOVATION and supporters in the communities we serve. Their contributions make what We are dedicated can often be a life-saving difference to many people. We are grateful for their to continuous loyalty and support and, in carrying out improvement COMMUNITY our mission, seek to be worthy of their through innovation trust. and research We work with the community to raise Dr Andrew Refshauge - Chairman Derek Colenbrander - CEO awareness of our cause and funds to support our service From left, Chairman Dr Andrew Refshauge and

CareFlight Annual Annual CareFlight Report 2015 CEO Derek Colenbrander.

5 6 September: Two people were flown to hospital in Darwin after a fatal car MISSIONS crash near Jabiru in Kakadu National Park. We treat and/or transport around 5,000 patients each year.

Mission Type Patients Helicopter – Westmead Rapid 261 Response – Top End TIO Rescue 111 – Paediatric & Newborn 274 Emergency – NSW Ambulance/ 583 CareFlight doctor Aeroplane 2,973 (King Air, Medi-jet & Airline) Road Ambulance 535 4,737

April: A couple were lucky to survive a rollover which wrecked their 4WD and caravan on an isolated road 110km east of Darwin. They were treated at the scene by a CareFlight doctor and nurse before being flown to Royal Darwin Hospital. 2015

April: CareFlight landed on busy West Pennant Hills Road during peak hour after a motorcyclist sustained critical injuries in a CareFlight Annual Annual CareFlight Report crash with a car. CareFlight doctors sedated and intubated the unconscious man before he was taken to hospital. 7 8 January: CareFlight flew a three-year-old girl to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead after she was pulled unconscious from a family swimming pool on the NSW Central Coast.

September: A 27-year-old woman was left unconscious with serious injuries when a horse she was treating kicked her in the face. A CareFlight medical team flew to the cattle station, 180km south of Darwin, to stabilise her before airlifting her to Royal Darwin Hospital.

Raven’s story

Burns to children are extremely Raven was in an induced coma for three suit for some time. However, we were dangerous and time is of the essence. days and has since had multiple skin delighted that Raven was well enough So when CareFlight received an grafts. He will need ongoing treatment to attend CareFlight’s past patients day emergency call about a young boy and will need to wear a compression three months after his accident. with significant burns to his face and upper body, the crew were in the air within two minutes.

Raven, 13, had burns to 30 percent of his body. CareFlight’s specialist doctor checked his airways, treated him for pain and kept him in the shower for the time needed to reduce the depth and severity of his burns. He then sprayed Raven with saline solution to keep his burns cool and wrapped him in plastic film for the journey to hospital. November: A 17-year old P-plater suffered head and abdominal April: Three young children were injured when the car in which they were injuries in a collision with a bus carrying school children. CareFlight’s travelling hit a power pole in Kingswood. One child was flown to hospital rapid response trauma team treated the young driver who was Burns patient Raven with family, from left, while the other two children were taken to hospital by road ambulance. trapped for 25 minutes before being freed. Erika, Adrian and Melanie, at CareFlight’s past

CareFlight Annual Annual CareFlight Report 2015 patients day.

9 10 From Sorong to Sydney Kirk’s story Kirk, far left, February: CareFlight pilot Paul Archbold picked his way around an organised intensifying Cyclone Lam to fly a premature baby girl from Gove/ fundraising tins In June, CareFlight International Air Nhulunbuy to Royal Darwin Hospital for urgent intensive care. In Kirk, NT Manager for Wynyard Bus Lines, after CareFlight a nine-hour marathon mission to avoid the worst of the storm, saved him. Ambulance flew to Sorong in the eastern CareFlight flew a paediatric specialist to Gove to fetch the baby was changing the tyre of a coach Photo Lyndon Indonesian province of West Papua to bring and mother before transferring them safely to Darwin. when the jack slipped. The bus came Keane. home a holidaying scuba diver who had crashing down, pinning him to the developed an unexplained fever. ground. Kirk’s spine was fractured, two discs were torn and several nerves The patient was airlifted by local helicopter were crushed. He needed to be from the offshore dive vessel to Sorong Airport airlifted from Katherine to Royal Darwin to rendezvous with the CareFlight medi-jet. Hospital for urgent treatment. The CareFlight medical team stabilised him before flying him, under intensive care, to The CareFlight medical team Darwin and then on to Sydney. administered medication for the intense pain and immobilised and stabilised Kirk before flying him to Darwin. He underwent months of treatment.

Kirk, through money tins on Wynyard Bus Lines coaches, has since raised When someone needs urgent over $5,000 for CareFlight. It’s his thank you to CareFlight for saving his life and medical attention in Katherine, his mobility. Kirk said, “When someone there’s only one way to get to needs urgent medical attention in Katherine, there’s only one way to get them – by air. CareFlight NT is to them – by air. CareFlight NT is our our lifeline. lifeline.” 2015

September: A 60-year-old man suffered serious burns on December: CareFlight was called to a a yacht 100km north-east of Darwin off Melville Island. He 49-year-old woman who suffered multiple was winched aboard the CareFlight TIO rescue helicopter injuries in a rollover on Old Pacific Highway in a rescue basket and then flown to hospital in Darwin. near the Brooklyn Bridge. CareFlight Annual Annual CareFlight Report

11 12 READINESS The right aircraft Another dimension of readiness is Our aircraft and medical crews are on standby to immediately having the right aircraft available at the right time for the right mission. respond to life-threatening emergencies. CareFlight operates a fleet of medi- jets, aeroplanes and helicopters, each aircraft selected and configured to meet specific mission requirements. CareFlight Service Description Location Dispatch to Takeoff Time to patient

Westmead Rapid Westmead An important measure of our • Medi-jets: transport patients to < 5 mins Response Service Base, Sydney readiness is our ‘time to patient’ and from all Australian states and – how long it takes to get our territories, South East Asia, South CareFlight Paediatric Westmead West Pacific and as far as India and Daylight < 15 mins doctors and nurses to those in Emergency Helicopter Children’s Night < 30 mins need of critical care. In practical China. The medi-jets are fast and Service Hospital terms, the way we measure this is have the range for long distance CareFlight Top End flights, minimising the need for Priority 1 cases < 30 mins by how fast we can safely get our Aeromedical Service Darwin, Gove, Priority 2 cases < 2 hours teams airborne and on their way. refuelling stops. • High acuity Katherine Priority 3 cases < 6 hours • Low acuity • King Air aeroplanes: service the Darwin and Top End of the , CareFlight Medi-jet < 2 hours Sydney an area of around one million square kilometres. The seating and stretcher capacity, capability and Baby Molly with brother Bryn, father Guy and mother Abi. Photo Gillian Lett, Milton range of these rugged aircraft medical air. The configuration Ulladulla Times. make them ideally suited for allows for concurrent transportation their role. With purpose designed of twin specialised neonatal Kakadu National Park rescue Molly’s story communication and navigation systems weighing 167kg each. A tourist was left unconscious when he slipped and fell systems, they have been A large seating capacity means Molly was born prematurely at 27 head-first into a shallow rock pool at the top of remote specifically modified for the harsh a parent can accompany the weeks, weighing just one kilogram. Gunlom Falls in Kakadu National Park in August. Two flight conditions of the NT. patient on the flight. Long range She spent six weeks in intensive nurses were winched down 60m, in very gusty conditions, fuel tanks ensure uninterrupted care and a month in the high to stabilise the injured man. He was then winched up to • Westmead rapid response flights to remote NSW. dependency special care unit the helicopter and flown to Royal Darwin Hospital. helicopter: flies to trauma incidents before going home. Molly then fell in and around the Greater Sydney • Top End helicopter: responds to dangerously sick with bronchiolitis Area. The BK117 can be airborne accidents and conducts search and needed urgent specialist very quickly and, being a small and rescue operations across the treatment not available in Nowra. aircraft, is suited for work in a densely Top End and off the NT coast. The populated urban environment. new AW139 CareFlight TIO rescue CareFlight was called to fly Molly to helicopter is configured for multiple Sydney Children’s Hospital, under the • Paediatric emergency helicopter: roles and missions. Bigger, faster care of a Newborn and paediatric flies ill babies and children from and with over twice the range of Emergency Transport Service (NETS) around NSW to specialist treatment its predecessor, this helicopter has team. She was on life support in centres in Sydney, Newcastle and a cruise speed of 260 km/h and an intensive care for 10 days before Canberra. The Bell 412’s purpose endurance of four hours. It has a she started to breathe unassisted. built aeromedical fitout includes two-person rescue hoist and is night 2015 Happily, Molly is now back home, plumbed medical oxygen and vision goggle equipped. healthy and growing.

Molly’s mother Abi said, “The journey from Nowra to Sydney was important The right aircraft at the right because if she hadn’t made it to Photo her ultimate destination of intensive Rachel time for the right mission.

CareFlight Annual Annual CareFlight Report Pocock. care, we would have lost her.”

13 14 The case mix illustrates the need for Health Care (ACSQHC) commended Aeromedical support for CARE highly experienced and skilled clinical CareFlight on becoming Australia’s first offshore oil and gas sector staff capable of dealing with a wide helicopter emergency medical service We bring a hospital standard of care to our patients. range of medical conditions in an out- to be accredited under National Starting in June 2014, CareFlight has a of-hospital environment. Safety and Quality Health Service six year contract to deliver aeroplane (NSQHS) Standards. The accreditation and helicopter aeromedical and Carebundles is granted for levels of care normally CareFlight medical teams logistics support to the INPEX-operated Dr Adam Sroor is an emergency only available in hospitals. Ichthys LNG project. The contract medicine specialist. CareFlight has put in place a system Much of CareFlight’s work is at the high known as Carebundles. The system end of the acuity spectrum. Caring for is based on a comprehensive and seriously ill and injured patients requires extensively researched checklist of Offshore tele-medicine means advanced clinical skills. recommended evidence-based initiating early treatment with remote procedures for managing different CareFlight recruits senior critical types of major injury. CareFlight specialist oversight. care specialists and registrars for our clinical crews carry pocket cards with aeromedical operations. When they Carebundle checklists. This assists the come to us they have extensive in- doctors to methodically apply clinical hospital experience in managing critical best practice in the often challenging patients, including trauma. CareFlight circumstances at the scene of major then provides intensive training in the road, workplace or home accidents. pre-hospital and transport environment. It also provides for a systematic approach to post-event reviews, CareFlight nurses are required to have reporting and data collection. at least five years nursing experience, including emergency experience. With A CareFlight intensive Late last year, the Australian care paramedic our Northern Territory caseload having a Commission on Safety and Quality in stationed on an high proportion of obstetric work, most offshore drilling rig. of our nurses are also qualified midwives. Caring for seriously ill and injured The chart shows the top diagnosis patients in the out-of-hospital environment related groups of patients we requires advanced clinical skills. transported in the Top End this year.

Diagnosis Patients

Respiratory 492 Trauma 373 Gastrointestinal 322 Cardiovascular 321 O&G 239 Musculoskeletal/Skin 191 Psychiatric 187 Sepsis 178 2015 Neurological 165 Renal 112 Other 112 Tox/Metabolic/Endocrine 45 Envenom/Environmental 26 Flight nurse Angela Coward is trained in critical care. Haematological 26 CareFlight Annual Annual CareFlight Report

15 16 introduces a new standard in offshore medical care, with CareFlight bringing EDUCATION the emergency department to the rig.

The project features the Ichthys Field, We train doctors, nurses, paramedics and first responders. some 800km² of water about 220km off the coast of north Western Australia; CareFlight delivers excellence and an 889km pipeline; and an onshore leadership in pre-hospital, critical processing plant near Darwin. transport and trauma training.

CareFlight’s contract supports more than 2,000 workers with: • a new aeromedical jet • trauma teams and support staff based in the NT and WA CareFlight • intensive care paramedics stationed on the rigs provided: • 24/7 logistics support from CareFlight’s HelpPoint assistance 1,067 centre participant training days • tele-medicine

Offshore tele-medicine is a new 347 initiative that links the rig to hospital educator delivery days specialists. It means bringing hospital level care to the patient and initiating early treatment with remote specialist 172 individual courses CareFlight delivered a trauma training workshop in Dili. oversight while a medivac team is on the way.

We provide tele-medicine through our patient care monitoring system, Special events: the Tempus Pro. The system transmits CareFlight education grows crucial patient data from the bedside Take Heart Australia Trauma training workshop in Dili on the offshore facility or the aircraft, More students – Growing industry CareFlight was invited to take part CareFlight delivered community- to the consultant who provides advice recognition of our education programs in the inaugural Take Heart Australia focused training to 24 ambulance within minutes. has seen an increase in the number event in May. The event, which aims service officers in October to improve of fee-paying participants at training to promote and increase take-up social services to Timor Leste. We also events. of CPR training in the community, provided a range of training aids to brought together over 400 people facilitate the workshop. Participants Retrieval specialist Dr Greg Dimond transmits patient data from the aircraft to consultant Dr Paul Additional educators – To cater to from a number of different agencies. received professional development Bailey in Perth, using the Tempus Pro. growing demand for our training certificates on completion of the services, CareFlight appointed CareFlight goes to Nashville training. additional medical staff, including our CareFlight was invited to present first specialist physiotherapy educator, at the Air Medical Transport Support for Royal Australian Signals and new logistics staff. Conference (AMTC) in Nashville, CareFlight supplied educators and

2015 Tele-medicine pre-empts heart attack Tennessee, in September. Our equipment to the Defence Force Education for educators – As part of delegation’s presentation focused School of Signals in June. This allowed Tele-medicine was put into practice Medics immediately applied advanced Royal Darwin Hospital. The cardiologist our continuous drive for excellence, on how to create a research-based over a dozen young army officers when a worker who was feeling unwell cardiac life support and activated a oversaw treatment while the patient CareFlight provided further training training program to develop a to complete their specialty training presented at a drilling rig’s medical CareFlight trauma team. An on-line was flown to Darwin Hospital. for staff who deliver our education mission ready workforce, including and ‘march out’ as fully fledged facility. Test results sent to a specialist assessment of the patient’s ECG results programs. what it means to be ‘mission ready’ members of the Royal Australian in Sydney confirmed the patient was was conducted in real time via a As a result of early intervention, the when no two missions are the same. Signals Corps. suffering a heart attack. tele-diagnostic link to a cardiologist at patient made a full recovery. CareFlight Annual Annual CareFlight Report

17 18 of administering CPR. CareFlight is We thank the following who have doing its bit to improve survival rates by MediSim made it possible for us to offer the teaching CPR skills in the community. MediSim program at no cost to participants: Pre-Hospital Trauma Course Since its launch in 2011, MediSim • Origin Energy extended • J&J Medical has completed 123 workshops and • Motor Accidents Authority In response to participant feedback, trained 1,854 first responders from • Spirit of Tasmania CareFlight extended our flagship Pre- • Lake Kununurra Discovery Hospital Trauma Course for doctors, 44 organisations around Australia. Holiday Park nurses and paramedics to include a skills • Peppers Resorts – Tasmania Trained to go down the wire - NT doctors Colin Urquart and Toby Shipway, left, with flight nurse Gail Haitt, aircrewman Steve Martz and pilot John Beasy. evening. The additional time will help • Barrick Cowal Gold Mine develop a high level understanding of • SNSW Farmers Bathurst Island Darwin invasive and non-invasive procedures • Bennelong Foundation NT doctors train for winch rescue Nationally accredited CPR specific to and potentially life-saving for • Voyages Hotels and Resorts Katherine courses trauma patients. • The Collier Charitable Fund Where MediSim Timber Creek Borroloola CareFlight is training doctors in the went this year NT to go ‘down the wire’ from the After attaining Registered Training Specialist training for INPEX CareFlight TIO rescue helicopter. This Organisation (RTO) accreditation in contract staff Victoria River Downs initiative will allow our doctors, as well December 2013, CareFlight started as the flight nurses already trained, conducting nationally accredited CareFlight developed and delivered to be winched down to treat injured cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) specialist training for our paramedics patients at inaccessible locations courses. stationed on oil and gas platforms Port Hedland where the helicopter is unable to land. under our INPEX contract. Because Over 12,000 people each year die from of the extreme location and isolation Karratha Offering this training will also help cardiac arrest. Of these, 95 percent die of the platforms, the paramedics CareFlight attract and recruit registrars before ever reaching hospital because need training in areas of care usually Mt Tom Price to work in the NT. nobody around them feels capable reserved for doctors and nurses. Watarrka

Leonora CareFlight is doing its bit to improve survival Glen Innes rates by teaching CPR skills in the community. Kalgoorlie Armidale

Bathurst Ravensthorpe West Wyalong Westmead Adelaide

Griffith Young Wollongong Esperance Albury Kiama Bendigo Gundagai This year, MediSim: Epping

• trained 576 emergency service volunteers Portland Ballarat • held 38 workshops • celebrated its 100th workshop in September in Ballarat Port Sorrell • took trauma care training workshops to South Australia Cradle Mountain 2015 for the first time Hobart • travelled thousands of kilometres, from Bathurst Island Freycinet in the NT to Hobart in Tasmania, across NSW and Victoria to Karratha in WA • recorded its first Community Service Announcement for airing on national television - the advertisement was produced by Mint Films, at no cost to CareFlight

CareFlight Annual Annual CareFlight Report Pre-Hospital Trauma Course training. Cliff edge training for registrars.

19 20 MediSim teaches first responders to make critical decisions quickly and sustain life until professional help arrives. Tasmanian emergency WA emergency services, Cradle services, Kalgoorlie. Mountain. Volunteer emergency service personnel can be the first to arrive at the scene of trauma incidents in regional and rural areas. They may need to make critical decisions quickly and sustain life until professional emergency medical help arrives. The MediSim program teaches them how to do just that.

MediSim provides high quality trauma care training which is delivered by specialist doctors, nurses and paramedics. The practical component Victorian emergency of the workshop uses life-like SA CFS, Adelaide services, Ballarat. mannequins and a unique car crash rescue simulator to give participants an opportunity to practise in a realistic but safe and controlled environment. MediSim: Watarrka ranger Melissa Merry’s perspective

Working as a ranger at Watarrka feel more confident in their abilities to critical medical and response Participant feedback this year National Park in central Australia manage emergencies. Talking through information all make a big difference to presents a range of challenges to NT scenarios with experienced medics, the rangers who attended this training. Average Question rating /5 Parks and Wildlife Commission staff. taking part in complex scenarios that The most challenging part of our role is imitate real life situations and learning Did the workshop add to Melissa, centre, with Watarrka National Park 4.75 your skills and knowledge? responding to visitor emergencies. quick and easy ways of organising rangers, NT. Did the instructors display 4.94 With over 300,000 visitors per year to knowledge? the park, combined with a remote Did the training aids 4.76 and hazardous environment, this is a enhance learning? 2015 regular part of our job. All Watarrka Was the content delivered 4.74 rangers have First Aid and Advanced effectively? Resuscitation Certificates, and we Will the training assist your 4.64 are also fortunate to have the King’s role? Canyon Medical Clinic to assist us. Would you recommend this 4.88 workshop to colleagues? Having skills such as those taught at the Overall rating 4.785 NSW SES and VRA,

CareFlight Annual Annual CareFlight Report Wollongong MediSim workshop means that rangers

21 22 INNOVATION The I-Care stretcher. We are dedicated to continuous improvement through The I-CARE innovation and research. stretcher allows seamless transition

CareFlight has a long history of ways to deliver the best pre-hospital between transport research and innovation. For almost 30 care for patients with traumatic brain modes, saving years we have continuously searched injury. for better ways to care for our patients. time, improving In the first stage of the study, a monitor safety and Our Westmead rapid response will be attached to patients who have service evolved from one of our most suffered a brain injury. The monitor reducing risk to important research projects, the should reveal new information about patients. six-year long Head Injury Retrieval the delivery of oxygen and other vital Trial (HIRT). This study demonstrated nutrients to brain tissue. the benefits of providing specialist physician treatment at the accident In the second stage of the study, the I-CARE stretcher scene for patients with severe head research team will follow up patients injuries. after 12 months to determine if there CareFlight, together with INPEX and are associations between the initial Aeronautical Engineers Australia, has monitoring data, the injuries identified developed a new, fully inter-operable and the subsequent recovery. ‘I-CARE’ stretcher system. The intensive Our Westmead Flight nurse Jodie Mills was recognised for her paper on retrieval of psychiatric patients. care stretcher was designed for rapid response The team is now recruiting patients for CareFlight’s work with the Ichthys gas service evolved the study which will take at least three project off north-west Australia. years. The project will see CareFlight Top End research from one of our researchers work with Hong Kong The I-CARE system solves a major research projects, academics and the University of New Our researchers in the Top End have problem in transferring seriously South Wales group who are project been busy looking at the unique ill and injured patients between the Head Injury leaders in the development of the challenges of providing critical care to multiple transport modes in complex Retrieval Trial. bionic . some of the most remote communities pre-hospital situations. Patients no in the world. longer have to change stretchers or The PHANTOM study has also received monitoring equipment while being The year saw CareFlight complete support in the form of a grant from the Research published in the last year transferred to hospital by helicopter, major projects and commence Australian and New Zealand College of includes: jet and then road ambulance. The exciting new initiatives in operations Anaesthetists. • a study looking at antibiotic use for seamless transition saves time, improves across the country. critically ill patients in wet tropical safety for staff and reduces risk to areas patients. PHANTOM Study • the use of intraosseous access by New monitoring retrieval teams The I-CARE system won the PHANTOM stands for Pre-hospital technology might • a novel, lower risk technique for highly commended award in the Assessment of Noninvasive Tissue provide better intravenous access in out-of- ‘Recognising achievement, innovation

2015 Oximetry Monitoring. hospital situations and commitment to improving insights into what is • the safe aeromedical transport of health safety and environmental The Phantom Study tests whether new acute psychiatric patients. Flight performance’ category at the technology for monitoring patients happening in the nurse Jodie Mills presented a paper Australian Petroleum Production might provide better insights into what first hour after a on this at the Aeromedical Society and Exploration Association (APPEA) is happening in the crucial first hour of Australasia annual scientific conference in Perth. The stretcher after a brain injury. The study follows on brain injury. meeting in 2014. It received the system is expected to become the from our research which investigated award for the best scientific paper. industry standard. CareFlight Annual Annual CareFlight Report

23 24 Fundraising Growth in CareFlight NT Donors COMMUNITY 3,500 It was a year of innovation as we 3,000 We work with the community to raise awareness of our cause sought to maximise donations to support our life-saving operations. We: 2,500 and funds to support our service. • established a face-to-face program to encourage regular giving, 2,000 acquiring over 1,000 additional 1,500 supporters through this new channel

• expanded our fundraising programs 1,000 to support national initiatives such as MediSim, with almost 40 percent 500 of donations coming from outside 0 NSW as a result Apr-13 Jul-13 Oct-13 Jan-14 Apr-14 Jul-14 Oct-14 Jan-15 Apr-15 • produced a new premium pilot bear that proved very popular with Christmas Appeal: dollars raised bear collectors 460 • introduced a new business supporter 450 program based on gold, silver and 440 bronze membership packages 430 420 The year saw a 17.5 percent growth in 410 our NT supporter base to 3,322 donors.

$ ‘000 400 390 Direct mail We thank our family of over 150,000 380 donors throughout Australia who again 370 supported our direct mail appeals this 360 year. The appeals covered a wide 350 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 range of interesting subjects and missions: Rapid response service marks To celebrate the milestone, CareFlight Among the guests was NSW Health • National Tax 2014 Appeal – told the 10 years held a past patients day at our Minister Jillian Skinner. Minister Skinner inspirational story of CareFlight’s Recognising our supporters Westmead Operations base in February. said of the service: “CareFlight is one role in saving the life of three-year- CareFlight’s rapid response trauma The community event brought together of the jewels in the crown of the state’s old Belle who was run over by a We presented nearly 200 certificates of appreciation to long-term supporters service marked its 10 year anniversary many of our past patients and their health service. It is a unique specialist reversing truck this year. Recipients included 10-year Support Crew Members, 20-year donors in 2015. The service, which covers the families. Patients were able to meet rapid response service whose crews • NT Tax 2014 Appeal – focused on and our bequestors. Greater Sydney Area, is tasked to with the doctors and crew who treated and clinicians save lives in what are CareFlight’s flight nurses and the serious primary trauma missions requiring and transported them, and tour the sometimes very heroic retrievals.” history of nursing in the Top End an intensive care medical crew. helicopter and hangar. • National August 2014 Appeal – ‘Mission Possible’ showcased the work of CareFlight pilots Top: Past patients joined us to mark our 10 • National Christmas 2014 Appeal – years of rapid response featured our emergency response service. to Keiran Dodge who was impaled Far left: CareFlight CEO in the head by a rusty steel rod in a 2015 Derek Colenbrander, Dr Alan Garner who workplace accident – the appeal pioneered the HIRT study raised $454,000 and was our most which evolved into the rapid response service, successful Christmas appeal ever Health Minister Jillian • National February 2015 Appeal Relationship Development Officer Support Crew Member Duane Langley Skinner and CareFlight Chairman Dr Andrew – showcased CareFlight’s Alicia Madden presents 20-year visits the Westmead base to receive his Refshauge. emergency helicopter service for supporter Malcom Fox with a 10-year Certificate of Appreciation. Left: Guest Ashley. babies and children in NSW Certificate of Appreciation. CareFlight Annual Annual CareFlight Report

25 26 Community engagement

The community engagement presented talks at 65 community Thank you to our team had a busy year liaising with meetings and attended 97 fetes, shows bear buyers – CareFlight community groups, business networks, and demonstrations. We were also forums, schools and supporters to delighted to welcome a number of 17,795 bears save lives. raise awareness about CareFlight’s past patients who came to meet the LIKES life-saving work. The team hosted crew who cared for them in their time over 2,000 people for base tours, of need.

Gifts and Grants CareFlight is fortunate to receive 1,378 very generous gifts and grants from a FOLLOWERS number of Trusts and Foundations. We are grateful for the following:

$150,000 Dunn Family Trust to support our paediatric Some highlights and neo-natal emergency helicopter Choppers for Charity Weekend service - one of our largest The wonderful community of ever gifts from a single Sussex Inlet banded together donor. Over the past five for the 13th year to support years, the Dunn Family CareFlight. This year they Trust has gifted around raised $15,000 over a fun- $400,000 to CareFlight filled weekend of golf, bowls $30,414 The Collier Charitable and a street parade. Fund for MediSim training Captain Ian Smart greets a group of base visitors. in Tasmania Rotary Club of Nhulunbuy $27,000 The Profield Foundation The club’s annual beach to support our helicopter volleyball competition emergency response raised $6,500 which will fund operational equipment at CareFlight Bears Contributions $18,335 The Marian & EH Flack CareFlight’s Gove hangar. CareFlight Bears are proving as popular CareFlight acknowledges the generous Trust for a paediatric as ever. This year we introduced eight contributions from: video laryngoscope Golf Days new bears: Aussie Soccer Bear, Digger • Barrick Cowal Gold Mine $10,450 The Motor Accidents Wisemans Ferry Police & Alby, Beach Girl Suzie, Beach Boy Scott, • BMG Aviation Authority of NSW to fund Citizens, AvLaw Aviation Grandma Olive, Grandpa Tom, Chief • Classic Ford Club of the NT MediSim training Consultants, Ku-ring-gai Lions Pilot Roger and Rescue Bear Alan. • Darwin Game Fishing Club $10,000 The James Kirby Club, McArthur River Mine and • Darwin Mining Club Foundation for a video Darwin Mining Club again held Partnerships • Hunter Hall International Ltd laryngoscope very successful golf events to We were delighted to welcome Origin • Inghams Enterprises Pty Ltd $6,150 Dimmick Charitable Trust raise money for CareFlight. Energy as a major sponsor of our • Lake Kununurra Discovery for a paediatric blood national MediSim trauma care training Holiday Park

2015 warmer CareFlight on Display Day program. We also renewed three year • Mataranka Better Half Club Corporate sponsors, donors partnership agreements with two of our • McArthur River Mine $4,348 Harcourts Foundation for and Support Crew Members valued corporate partners, Mounties • Minerals Council of Australia a McGrath training video attended the event which Group and Johnson & Johnson • SNSW Farmers laryngoscope showcased our aeromedical Medical. Territory Insurance Office (TIO) • TVSN Channel Pty Ltd $2,459 Pierce Armstrong services and specialist continues to be an important partner, • Unity 4 Pty Ltd Foundation for an equipment used in critical sponsoring the Top End CareFlight TIO • Woolworths emergency folding spinal Five-year-old Jayden, with his grandfather Bob, visits Dr Steve Skinner who treated him when he was retrievals and training.

CareFlight Annual Annual CareFlight Report rescue helicopter. board caught between a utility and a trailer.

27 28 Darwin Mining Club’s golf day for CareFlight. Kakadu Triathlon This event was held in Jabiru, a frequent destination for CareFlight when transferring ill and injured patients to Darwin. The popular event brought the town together in support of CareFlight, and raised over $8,000.

Rotary Club of Nhulunbuy Woodford to Glenbrook cheque Classic presentation. This annual 25km Blue Mountains cycling/running event attracted 800 participants and raised over $40,000.

Deckchair Cinema fundraiser Darwin’s iconic outdoor cinema was packed for this Todd Peisley inaugural fundraiser. Cult ride for movie Top Gun brought in CareFlight. nearly $5,500. Thank you to all those individuals, Alyssa’s challenge communities, clubs and businesses A love of helicopters and who worked so hard to raise much the work of medical heroes inspired Alyssa O’Donnell, 10, needed funds for CareFlight. to raise more than $1,600 for CareFlight Top End.

Scooter shave

Alyssa. Scooter sacrificed his beard for CareFlight, his novel online fundraiser bringing in over $3,600.

McArthur River Mine cheque Christmas joy for sick children presentation. The CareFlight team visited

Sussex Inlet Choppers for Charity weekend. Royal Darwin Hospital before Christmas to donate CareFlight bears to patients in Kakadu Triathlon winners the children’s ward. Rebekka Atz and Chris Piggot-McKellar.

2015 Todd Peisley Ride CareFlight flew to Bali to treat Todd Peisley in 2012, but tragically he passed away. More than 100 riders took part in the 2015 motorbike ride which honours his memory, raising over $9,000. CareFlight Annual Annual CareFlight Report

Bears for sick 29 Woodford to Glenbrook Classic. children. 30 BOARD AND EXECUTIVE TEAM FINANCIALS

Board of Directors Group revenue increased by $7.3 million (10.7%), from $68.0 million to $75.3 million. The increase in revenue is mainly attributable to our new contract to provide aeromedical support services for the Ichthys oil and gas project in north-west Australia.

The charts below are a financial snapshot of the last two years:

Dr Andrew Refshauge Derek Colenbrander Patricia Angus Ian Badham David Bowen Net Surplus Net Equity MBBS, FAICD BA, LLB PSM, MTH BSC, OAM BA, Dip Law 1.5 14 Chairman Chief Executive Independent Non- Director Independent Non- Officer Executive Director Executive Director 12 Executive Director 164% 49% 10 1

8

$ million $ million 6

0.5 4

2

0 0 2014 2015 2014 2015 Prof Daniel Cass Dr Nicholas Coatsworth Garry Dinnie Anna Guillan Company MBBS, FRCS, FRACS MBBS (Hons), MIntPH, BCom, FCA, FAICD, MBA Secretary Independent Non- FRACP MIIA (Aust), FAIM Independent Non- Executive Director Independent Non- Independent Non- Executive Director Peter Quayle Resigned 27 February Executive Director Executive Director BCom, FCPA 2015 Appointed 23 June Chairman of the Audit Taking a longer look over the past decade, we have almost 2015 & Risk Committee quadrupled revenue:

Revenue Growth 80 Executive Team Medical Director 70 Derek Colenbrander David Mann Dr Alan Garner Chief Executive Officer General Manager Aviation Services Resigned 27 March 2015 60

50 Andrew Anderson Trent Osborn Dr Toby Fogg General Manager Medical & Support General Manager Fundraising & Commenced 15 June 2015 40 Services Community Engagement $ million Chief Pilot 30 2015 Natalie Gallagher Paul Smith Human Resources Manager General Manager CareFlight Richard Sandford 20 International 10 Tanya Izod Director of Engineering General Manager Northern Operations Rajini Surendran 0 Finance Manager Luke Bradshaw 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Mark Lever General Manager Public Affairs &

CareFlight Annual Annual CareFlight Report Communications

31 32 The following is a summary extracted from the audited financial statements of CareFlight Limited Group for the year ended 30 April 2015. This information should be read in conjunction with those financial statements, a copy of which can be found on the CareFlight Limited website at www.careflight.org.

Consolidated statement of surplus or deficit and other comprehensive income Consolidated statement of financial position For the year ended 30 April As at 30 April 2015 2014 2015 2014 Revenue $ $ Current assets $ $ Government revenue 50,545,887 49,291,078 Cash and cash equivalents 12,600,614 6,305,766 Aeromedical and other retrieval revenue 12,153,434 5,068,751 Trade and other receivables 3,593,432 5,450,359 Fundraising – donations and sponsorship 6,048,234 6,678,155 Inventories 200,125 172,236 Fundraising – merchandising and events 6,260,316 6,909,104 Aircraft held for sale – 1,922,440 Net gain on sale of non-current assets 316,506 – Other current assets 798,627 1,005,226 Revenue from CareFlight Aeromedical Limited – 68,741 Total current assets 17,192,798 14,856,027 Total revenue 75,324,377 68,015,829 Non-current assets Expenditure Investments 2 2 Operations and administration – costs of personnel 34,560,309 29,138,665 Fixed wing aircraft 19,433,723 21,183,031 Direct costs of aero-medical operations 19,264,468 18,609,346 Rotary wing aircraft 13,281,543 10,968,407 Costs of fundraising – donations and sponsorship 1,990,141 1,639,627 Land and buildings 2,446,401 2,493,007 Costs of fundraising – merchandising and events 4,560,724 4,897,401 Property, plant and equipment 7,085,177 7,260,305 Depreciation 4,619,446 3,989,545 Total non-current assets 42,246,846 41,904,752 Insurance 839,463 998,479 Professional fees 1,583,001 2,350,435 Total assets 59,439,644 56,760,779 General overheads 4,273,047 3,472,042 Net loss on sale of non-current assets – 85,897 Current liabilities Total expenditure before net finance expense 71,690,599 65,181,437 Trade and other payables 4,716,002 5,545,473 Income received in advance 8,855,295 7,031,615 Surplus before net finance expense 3,633,778 2,834,392 Interest bearing liabilities 3,348,997 3,937,290 Provisions 2,519,469 1,904,036 Finance income 122,232 124,577 Total current liabilities 19,439,763 18,418,414 Finance expense (2,351,966) (2,428,721) Non-current liabilities Net finance expense 2,229,734 2,304,144 Interest bearing liabilities 27,685,839 29,874,104 Provisions 298,580 387,746 Net surplus for the year 1,404,044 530,248 Total non-current liabilities 27,984,419 30,261,850

Other comprehensive income Total liabilities 47,424,182 48,680,264 Other comprehensive income items that may be reclassified to surplus or deficit Net assets 12,015,462 8,080,515 Revaluation of rotary wing aircraft 2,530,903 (8,248) Capital funds

2015 Total comprehensive income for the year 3,934,947 522,000 Reserves 2,756,945 226,042 Retained surplus 9,258,517 7,854,473

Total capital funds 12,015,462 8,080,515 CareFlight Annual Annual CareFlight Report

33 34 CareFlight National CareFlight International Headquarters Air Ambulance

Corner Redbank Road and Barden Street 24/7 Emergency Tasking Tel: 1300 655 855 Northmead NSW 2152 Tel: +61 2 9893 7683 Fax: +61 2 9689 2744 www.careflight.org GPO Box 9829 Email: [email protected] In Your Capital City

Tel: (02) 9843 5100 Fax: (02) 9843 5155 Email: [email protected] ABN 18 210 132 023

CERTIFICATION AND ACCREDITATION

Air Operator’s Certificate of Aviation Certificate Approval CASA CASA

Australian Australian & Australian Royal Australian European College of College for New Zealand College of College of Aeromedical Intensive Care Medical Emergency College of Rural & Remote General Institute Medicine Medicine Anaesthetists Medicine Practitioners

Australian CAR217 Skills Quality Training CASA Authority RTO

Certified System Certified System Certified System Certified System Health & Safety Environment Mgt ISO 9001 NSQHS AS4801 ISO14001 Systems Quality Healthcare Safety Environment