SA Ambulance Service MedSTAR

SAAS MedSTAR is the emergency medical retrieval service of the South Australian Ambulance Service, known as SAAS. It is a government service. It provides rapid clinical and pre-hospital trauma care and retrieval services across South Australia.

The service includes a dedicated paediatric, neonatal, and obstetric service called SAAS MedSTAR Kids. It cares for children from birth to 16 years of age. MedSTAR also works closely with the SAAS Special Operations Team of highly trained rescue paramedics.

MedSTAR gives 24 hour clinical support and advice to country and metropolitan health services. It supports SAAS clinicians and rural health workers. It also coordinates medical retrieval and gives clinical advice.

The service moves critically ill and injured patients between metropolitan specialist hospitals. It also provides emergency transport between hospitals. Its work includes support in medical and surgical emergencies.

MedSTAR uses a range of transport options. These include emergency ambulances, helicopters, fixed wing aircraft, commercial flights, and commercial vehicles. Fixed wing flights are contracted from the Royal Flying Doctor Service or a jet charter company.

The service responds to mass casualty incidents and disasters. It carries out interstate transfers, including organ transplant recipients and children who need paediatric cardiac surgery. It also provides national and international aeromedical retrievals, repatriation, and support.

Members of the public who need help should call 000 in an emergency. MedSTAR serves patients across South Australia who need specialist retrieval, including people in rural and remote areas.

Services

• Clinical response and retrieval
• Medical retrieval coordination
• Support to rural health clinicians
• Transfers between metropolitan hospitals
• MedSTAR Kids children and newborn service
• Mass casualty response
• Interstate transfers
• National and international aeromedical retrieval
• Repatriation support