CHC recently put a proposal forward to the government to take over the Townsville base of the rescue service but it hasn't been accepted as it is more than the current operating costs.
Queensland rescues new EC135 (the replacement for the AS350) is well behind delivery over a dispute concerning damage to the tailboom incurred during transport from the factory. Eurocopter want to repair it but the service wants a new one,
cannot blame them.
Then there is the ongoing problem of the medical union refusing to allow doctors to travel on the Bell 412's, a problem that may spill over into the Royal Flying Doctor Service shortly.
A recent episode had a doctor, who would fly in the helicopter, having to be flown hundreds of miles in an aeroplane to man the Cairns helicopter to attend a case. These very professional flight crews are sitting around day after day doing nothing.
It is not the emergencies that are the problem as they use paramedics most of the time, it is the hospital transfers that are suffering from the refusal to fly.
There are currenly no plans for the Government to hand over control of this excellent service.
