- Western Australian emergency departments experienced increased demand in June, July, August, and September to date
- More Western Australians using the WA Virtual Emergency Department
- An average of 436 older Western Australians awaiting aged care in hospitals during September
- Vaccination initiatives helped keep flu hospitalisations low
- Cook Labor Government ensuring all Western Australians can access the healthcare they need when they need it
The implementation of the Cook Labor Government’s 2026 Winter Strategy has helped the boost the resilience of the health system as Western Australian hospitals experienced significant demand over the past four months.
Emergency Department attendances in June, July, August, and September to date were up 2.3 per cent (8,896 attendances) on last year. The number of people presenting in the two most serious triage categories was up 8.3 per cent (5,476 attendances), reflecting increasing complexity in the population.
Ambulance arrivals also increased by 5.3 per cent (3,681 attendances), but overall ramping hours were down 12 per cent (3,087 hours).
The Cook Labor Government’s 2026 Winter Strategy, backed by a $140 million investment, was designed to boost health system resilience and support the community to ensure Western Australians can access safe and appropriate care during the months with highest demand.
Part of that investment was to increase the number of nation-leading Time to Think beds to 148 beds, allowing more older Western Australians who have been cleared to leave hospital to await an aged care placement in a more dignified setting.
The number of patients facing an aged care wait from a hospital bed climbed to a record 473 during September, averaging at 436 patients. These are hospital beds that cannot be used for acutely unwell patients.
Prevention was another key pillar of the 2026 Winter Strategy. This year the introduction of the Be Wise, Immunise campaign and needle-free vaccination option, FluMist, contributed to a 33 per cent increase in the number of six-month to 12-year-olds getting vaccinated.
While vaccination initiatives helped keep flu hospitalisations low, demand on WA emergency departments was still at record highs.
Demand for virtual health care also increased, with a spike in 1800MEDICARE referrals to the WA Virtual ED (WAVED) following the launch of the Access Health WA campaign.
Western Australians can continue to find healthcare and immunisation options year-round through the Access Health website. Visit access.health.wa.gov.au .
As stated by Health Minister Meredith Hammat:
“Our health workers have done an incredible job caring for Western Australians during a very busy winter.
“Thank you to every single one of you for the contribution you’ve made to your community.
“We will continue to back our health workforce through record investments to boost hospital capacity, increase healthcare options, and keep more Western Australians well in their communities.
“It’s encouraging to see so many Western Australians embracing new initiatives like FluMist, Time to Think, and the WA Virtual ED.
“Our government will be looking closely at what worked this winter and ensuring we continue to build on those initiatives in the winters to come.”
As stated by Aged Care and Seniors Minister Simone McGurk:
“The Cook Labor Government continues to do the heavy lifting to ensure older Western Australians who are medically fit to be discharged are not waiting in hospital unnecessarily.
“Through our State Government initiatives like Time to Think, Older Adult Health Hubs, and Transition Care Program @ Home + we are supporting older Western Australians through innovative models of care.
“Without our nation-leading Time to Think program, on any given day an additional 124 older people would be occupying hospital beds while waiting for a Commonwealth home care package or an aged care place.
“The Cook Labor Government is investing in smarter, more compassionate health care that delivers better outcomes for older Western Australians.”
