Jet aircraft will be part of the NSW ambulance fleet for the first time, providing a much-needed boost to health services in rural and remote areas.
A pair of Pilatus PC-24 jets are due to enter the state's service by mid-next year, giving emergency responders the opportunity to fly further and faster, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park announced on Friday.
The planes will complement an existing aerial ambulance fleet of five Beechcraft King Air 350Cs, which are propeller-driven, in making long-range hospital calls.
"Whether responding to a motor vehicle accident or transferring a critically ill patient from a regional hospital, these PC-24 aircraft will be a major boost for the health of regional and remote communities throughout NSW," Mr Park said.
A damning NSW parliamentary last year found residents in rural and remote areas had worse health outcomes than their city peers and made dozens of recommendations for change.
The jets will be equipped with the latest medical equipment as part of a $54 million boost to the state's aero-medical operations.
More than 6000 patients are already transported each year by NSW Ambulance's fixed-wing services.
Flight-nurse training has already begun for the jets, which will be leased from Sydney-based company Pel-Air for the next decade.
The firm will also operate and maintain the planes.
Pel-Air chairman John Sharp said the aircraft would be a game-changer for a state as large as NSW and would help ambulance services save lives.
