The Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service’s End of Financial Year Appeal highlights how every donation, large or small, helps deliver vital care to regional and remote communities in their most critical moments.

On average, NSW Ambulance tasks the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service around four times a day from aeromedical bases in Lismore, Tamworth and Belmont.

The aircraft’s critical care medical teams, made up of a NSW Ambulance critical care paramedic and NSW Health doctor, attend to over 1,500 missions each year across Northern NSW.

This year marks an incredibly special milestone for the Service - 50 years of saving and changing lives since its inception in Newcastle in December 1975.

Across those 50 years, community support has been an ongoing contributor to the Service’s provision of critical care and support in a time of need.

“The community’s belief in what we do and their generosity has built the very foundations of our Service that today, in conjunction with the funding we receive from NSW Health, provides a partnership that together can continue to give patients the best chance of a positive outcome,” Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service Chief Executive Officer Steven Underwood said.  

“The support from the community for our End of Financial Year Appeal will mean we can continue to invest in the training, equipment, people and new technologies that will ensure we can deliver the highest standards of excellence in aviation and medical care for our patients,” Mr Underwood concluded.

Looking to the future, new challenges will emerge, but so too will new opportunities to strengthen the care the Service provides. With continued community support, the Service can meet those moments with continued compassion and commitment, with a continued dedication to caring for others in the years ahead.

To make a tax-deductible donation before June 30, visit www.rescuehelicopter.com.au/appeal.