The first breast care nurse will soon take flight with the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

The 67th McGrath Foundation breast care nurse will be based at the RFDS base in Broken Hill and will fly across rural and remote areas from far west New South Wales to south west Queensland and north eastern South Australia to support breast cancer affected families.

The full-time position is the first of its kind for the not-for-profit RFDS, which has been flying health care services to the furthest corners of Australia since 1928.

The breast care nurse position will be advertised and is expected to be filled within two to three months.

“The position will be an invaluable and much-needed addition to our primary health care team, providing support and empowering families through accurate and timely information and referral services during what is naturally a very stressful time,” RFDS south eastern chief medical officer Dr Anne Wakatama said.

Last year the RFDS performed more than 38,000 aerial evacuations and is at the frontline of delivering essential health care through its ‘fly around’ clinics, staffed with doctors, nurses and specialists.

There are now 62 McGrath breast care nurses working in communities right across Australia and an additional five locations have been identified for recruitment this year.

McGrath Foundation’s Tracy Bevan said it was a proud day for the foundation and one that came three years since Jane McGrath lost her battle with breast cancer.

The RFDS breast care nurse position was funded through Elders, which has raised more than $330,000 in the past three years for the McGrath Foundation.