RFDS and QCoal Group renew partnership to deliver QCoal Community Dental Service to rural communities

To mark the successful conclusion of Dental Health Week 2015, QCoal Foundation and the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section) (RFDS) have announced that the QCoal Community Dental Service will continue providing quality oral health care to rural and remote Queensland communities through the continuation of their partnership agreement.

CEO Nino Di Marco said the Flying Doctor was proud of this partnership and of the dedication of the dental team who have provided a significant amount of acute treatment and made an enormous difference to the lives of thousands of Queenslanders.

"The QCoal Community Dental Service has already proven very successful and has provided over $2million worth of free dental services to 14 rural and remote communities across central and western Queensland, since commencing in 2013.

Funded by the independently owned Queensland mining company QCoal Group, through the QCoal Foundation, the QCoal Community Dental Service is delivered via two dental surgeries in a purpose-built semi-trailer and can provide everything from a simple check and clean, through to an extraction or X-ray.

QCoal Group Managing Director Christopher Wallin said the renewal of the QCoal Foundation's partnership with the RFDS was a significant win for those living and working in rural and remote communities where access to dental care is a major concern.

"Thanks to this service, those living and working in rural and remote communities can now get the quality care they need on their doorstep, free of charge," he said.

Together, the Flying Doctor and QCoal Group will continue to look at ways to enhance the service and partner with Government to ensure that people who live in rural and remote Queensland have access to the same level of oral health care as their metropolitan counterparts.

The QCoal Community Dental Service will visit Blackall, Sapphire, Theodore, Collinsville and Monto before the end of the year.

About the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section)

Queensland's Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to providing vital health care to anyone travelling, working or living in Queensland.

The RFDS's emergency retrieval service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and has expanded to provide regular transfers of patients for life-saving surgery such as organ transplants and heart surgery, delivering critical support to those who live in rural and remote areas.

The RFDS also delivers a broad range of essential health care services to rural and remote communities, including general practice, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, child and family health, social and emotional wellbeing, women's health and health promotion.

Today, the RFDS provides the finest care to more than 290,000 Australians each year – that's one person every two minutes!

Although the RFDS receives some Federal and State Government funding, we rely on fundraising initiatives and donations from individuals, organisations and the community to help us raise $10 million each year to keep our aircraft flying and purchase vital medical equipment.

QCoal Foundation

QCoal Foundation has been established to deliver community-focused outcomes to improve the lives of people who live and work in rural and remote Queensland. The Foundation is focused on three broad support areas of Health, Liveability and Education.

QCoal Foundation's key partnership is with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), which is delivering the QCoal Community Dental Service. The service operates with a five-person dental team from an 18-wheel semi-trailer and includes two clinics, a sterilisation area, a reception desk, kitchenette, and the latest panoramic x-ray equipment.

As it evolves, QCoal Foundation will seek further opportunities to contribute to building sustainable regional communities by investing in new community-led initiatives targeting health, liveability and education.