Western Australia's Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) has transported a record number of patients since July with increased travel within the state a key factor.
RFDS senior staff specialist Dr Andy Thelander described the increase as "phenomenal".
"We are up at least a quarter on our normal movement of patients per day," Dr Thelander said.
"We certainly felt in the very early parts of the post-lockdown period that this would happen but what is incredible … is the fact that this has continued, and not even just continued but the record numbers seem to be growing."
July had been a record for the service with 844 patients transferred, compared to 806 last year.
In August that rose to 860, and 896 patients were transported in September.
October has seen a slight reprieve with 850 air evacuations compared to 796 in October 2019.
Overall, there have been 346 more patients transported from July to October compared to the same period last year.
Dr Thelander said there were many factors, but a boost in travel within the state was "probably the most easily identifiable".
1,300-kilometre medical evacuation
Perth retiree Tom Fleming was among the RFDS's 850 patients this month after he slipped at an Exmouth resort and broke his hip.
"As the afternoon grew on it became worse and worse to the extent that I was lying on the bed, could not move, and if I did move it was an extremely painful exercise," Mr Fleming said.
"When you consider the logistics of it, were it not for the flying doctor you would have done 1,300 kilometres in an ambulance — which was just an impossibility."
Mr Fleming and his wife Mary have lived in Western Australia for five years, but this had been their first road trip.
"It will not be the last, I can assure you," he said.
A spokeswoman for the RFDS said the top three reasons for retrievals are bodily injuries, circulatory emergencies such as heart attacks and strokes, and digestive problems.
Dr Thelander said the mix of cases has not changed recently.
"It tends to be the same breakdown of patients — medical, obstetrics, trauma, paediatric," he said.
"We are seeing a similar case mix so there is not one particular type of presentation that is predominant over the others, but we are just seeing larger numbers of these typical cases."
He said government assistance during the pandemic and donations have helped the service cope with the increased demand.
"Even though we are working really hard we are not at capacity," Dr Thelander said.
"I do not want people to hear this and think 'gee whiz, I cannot travel'.
"We at RFDS encourage everyone in Western Australia to get out there and see this beautiful state and know that while you are out there we are right there with you."
