Westpac Rescue Helicopter to be based in Dubbo until December

The helicopter arrived in Dubbo on Monday, and was sent out on its first job around midday on Tuesday.

The extra aircraft was part of the organisation's surge planning to respond to the current COVID-19 outbreak and would be added to the NSW Ambulance fleet for the next two and a half months to assist paramedics in rural and regional NSW.

NSW Ambulance Commissioner Dominic Morgan said in response to the evolving situation NSW Ambulance had "surged our workforce and resources to have more paramedics, call-takers, ambulances, fixed wing aircraft and now helicopters available to respond to the community."

"We're very proud of our long-standing relationship with the team at the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service and we're grateful they've been able to mobilise this expansion so quickly and professionally."

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The helicopter will initially be based in the Dubbo area which means it is ideally situated to respond to anticipated inter-facility transfer demand from remote regional communities in the state.

The additional service is to be funded by the NSW Government wiht Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service CEO Richard Jones OAM, saying the additional investment is welcomed in regional NSW.

"Often it's our pre-hospital emergency flights that are the most visible and therefore the best known missions that we fly, but Inter Hospital Transfers can often make a life-saving difference as well," Mr Jones said.

The helicopter will be leased by NSW Ambulance until mid-December.