The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) brought the heart of country and outback Australia to the nation’s Capital last week, in a bid to keep rural and remote healthcare firmly on the federal political radar.

As part of Rural Health month, the Plane in a Paddock November 2025 event saw a full-size RFDS aircraft simulator, RFDS Dental Van and an RFDS Patient Transport vehicle ‘double parked’ on the front lawns of Parliament House in Canberra

"Our RFDS Doctors, nurses, physios and dentists are very used to tackling challenging terrain and diverse patient needs across the country, 24/7. But the front-line RFDS staff who attended this week’s Parliament House event had a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity to share the latest medical innovations and Primary Health Service developments with Federal political leaders of all persuasions - and from all corners of the country," a RFDS spokesperson said.

RFDS patron, Her Excellency, the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General, attended the event, which also marked the launch of the Parliamentary Friends of the RFDS group, co-chaired by Claire Clutterham MP and Senator Alison Penfold.