Helping improve medical and mental health outcomes in the bush

Images and vision available here 

Australia's leading organic global meat producer, Hewitt has committed $750,000 to support the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) sections in Queensland, South Australia and Northern Territory, and New South Wales, delivering critical health and wellbeing care to remote Indigenous and farming communities.

"Rural Australia has been at the heart of the Hewitt business across four generations," Mick Hewitt, Group CEO of Hewitt said. 

"Growing up in the bush, I've seen the Royal Flying Doctor Service provide both emergency and day-to-day care to our communities. 

"This first-hand experience of the RFDS's critical work inspired Hewitt to make the donation.

"As a business that relies on the land - land that is steeped in over 60,000 years of First Nations history - we're also particularly committed to achieving better healthcare outcomes for Australia's indigenous communities."

Hewitt is the largest integrated supply chain of certified organic meat in Australia, and the company behind household brands such as Cleaver's Organic, Borrowdale Free Range Pork, Warilba Organic Lamb, and Arcadian Meat. With substantial holdings in Queensland, NSW, and Central Australia, Hewitt has over 5.6 million acres of rich agricultural land, 200,000 livestock, 15 properties, and over 270 employees.

The RFDS is vital in turning the tide to help improve health outcomes for people living in rural and remote areas. Around 230,000 occasions of care are delivered each year between Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory, and the South Eastern Sections. Around 28% of the Australian population live in rural and remote areas, with data revealing people in these communities often experience poorer health outcomes when compared to city dwellers, due to less access to primary health care services. 

For Indigenous communities, which make up around 32% of those living in rural and remote Australia, life expectancy is lower and there is a higher prevalence of modifiable risk factors that could lead to serious health issues such as kidney, urinary tract or coronary heart disease, injury or suicide.

The five-year partnership between Hewitt and the RFDS aims to improve the physical and mental health and well-being of people in rural, regional, and remote areas of Australia by ensuring vital medicine, health technology and medical/mental health advice is delivered. 

RFDS (Queensland Section) CEO Meredith Staib said the Hewitt collaboration will go towards providing important front-line services to people in rural and remote communities.

"Our aim is to provide the finest care to the furthest corner and we're grateful for the generous support of Hewitt over such a significant amount of time.

"We're continuing to work hard to provide positive and equitable health outcomes across Australia and this is only possible with the support of Australia's rural sector," Meredith said.

Cairns based RFDS Nurse Manager Lesley Mallard said it was important to continue to find ways to better service Australia's remote communities.

"I know across the top end of Australia, the challenges around physical and mental health are both plentiful and unique and partnerships like this can only help us to provide even more services where they're really needed," Lesley said.

Hewitt's history and success in family farming has been underpinned by a commitment to support the people working the land every day.

"The Hewitt vision is to feed the world with a system that lasts forever. We have strong ties to Queensland, New South Wales, and Central Australia, and four generations of experience and understanding of the challenges remote communities face," said Mick Hewitt.

"At Hewitt, we understand that prioritising the wellbeing of the land, animals and our people will deliver better outcomes for everyone.

"Our partnership with the RFDS is just one way we ensure the people and communities who are behind Hewitt's business get the support they need; at the times they need it."

ENDS

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact Blue Planet Public Relations -

-        Sophie Blue - Sophie.blue@blueplanetpr.com.au or 0416 006 821

-        Maria Crema - maria.crema@blueplanetpr.com.au or 0402 239 929

About Hewitt

Hewitt is a leading Australian food producer, with a fully integrated supply chain and ecosystem. Hewitt is a fourth-generation family business that understands the importance of treating the land, animals and people well. Hewitt's purpose is to feed the world with a system that lasts forever, with a mission to become the world's most sustainable meat company. Today, the Hewitt family business footprint spans more than 5.6 million acres of rich agricultural land, 15 properties, over 270 employees, supporting over 200,000 livestock. For more information visit www.hewittfoods.com

About the RFDS 

The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) is a national, charitable, health organisation delivering primary healthcare and 24-hour emergency services for those living and travelling through rural and remote Australia. 

Long known as one of the largest aeromedical organisations in the world, the RFDS delivers health care where mainstream health services are not available, using the latest in aviation, medical and communications technology and a broad-reaching ground-service fleet.

Supported by a vast number of volunteers, the RFDS provides a lifeline for those that live, work and travel in rural and remote Australia, and has been recognised as Australia's 'Most Reputable' charity and 'Most Trusted' charity brand for many years.

The strength of the RFDS people, partners, and the communities they serve gives the organisation confidence in its potential for greater impact. Across the next 10 years, the RFDS will expand its existing influence and provide targeted services in partnership with communities, funders, and other providers. This will see the RFDS extend beyond its current services and impact, while ensuring that healthcare is targeted to the communities that need it most. The RFDS is excited for the future and is deeply committed to ensuring its influence is sustained for the long-term.

www.flyingdoctor.org.au

Last year the RFDS conducted 34,082 aeromedical retrievals, equivalent to 93 aeromedical retrievals per day, or four per hour. Over 30% of patients were indigenous. The top three reasons for RFDS aeromedical retrieval were diseases of the circulatory system such as heart attack and stroke (21%); injuries such as falls, motor vehicle accidents, assaults, suicide attempts or exposure to chemicals (19%); and diseases of the digestive system including gastro-oesophageal reflux, ulcers, appendicitis, bowel issues or diseases of the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas (10%).[1]

[1] RFDS - Best for the Bush - RURAL AND REMOTE HEALTH BASE LINE 2022.