LifeFlight has bolstered its commitment to Queenslanders, with 33 new critical care doctors ready to provide life-saving aeromedical care across the state – including a UK doctor who once planned to spend just a year in Cairns.
Dr Sam Inman has joined LifeFlight’s Cairns retrieval team after nearly a decade working in emergency departments across Queensland. He first moved to Cairns in 2017 and quickly found himself drawn to the region’s lifestyle.
His interest in aeromedical retrievals began at Cairns Hospital, where he watched LifeFlight doctors deliver advanced pre‑hospital care across some of the most remote parts of the state. Coming from the UK, he was struck by the sheer size of the region, noting that the area covered by the Cairns and Cape York retrieval service is larger than the entire United Kingdom.
Now, he’s part of the team responding to emergencies from the tropics to the outback, joining fellow doctors on board the QGAir AW139 helicopter. Before stepping into the role, Dr Inman completed intensive aeromedical training at the LifeFlight Training Academy, including Helicopter Underwater Escape Training, sea survival, winching drills and realistic clinical scenarios designed to prepare doctors for anything they might face in the field.
LifeFlight trainers say the program pushes recruits out of their comfort zone but gives them the confidence and skills needed for high‑risk missions, whether that’s a remote bushland rescue or an offshore emergency. The organisation remains Australia’s largest employer of aeromedical doctors, with Cairns‑based crews alone helping more than 900 people last year.
