Royal Flying Doctor Service

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Royal Flying Doctor Service

Abbreviation	RFDS
Predecessor	AIM Aerial Medical Service
Established	15 May 1928; 97 years ago (1928-05-15)
Founder	John Flynn
Founded at	Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia
Type	Not-for-profit organisation
Legal status	Charity
Headquarters	Canberra, Australia
Region served	Australia
Services	Aeromedical retrieval Primary care
National Board Chair	Tracey Hayes
National Deputy Chair	John O'Donnell
Affiliations	Six autonomous regional divisions and a national office
Website	flyingdoctor.org.au

The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), commonly known as the Flying Doctor, is an aeromedical retrieval service in Australia and the largest of its kind in the world. It is a non-profit organisation that provides urgent and emergency medical transport for patients in rural and remote areas of Australia who require transfer to a higher level of care (such as a tertiary referral hospital). RFDS also provides primary health care services such as general practice, mental health and allied health to remote communities who would otherwise have limited access. The RFDS comprises six autonomous regional organisations (such as the RFDS Queensland Section) and a federation office in Canberra.