In March 2023, the Western Australian government pledged $50 million to address the issues created by aging hospitals. This decision was rightly criticized after an unfortunate cascade of alarming reports came to light. Despite substantial increases in health funding, experts argue that the state’s healthcare system requires comprehensive reform rather than temporary fixes. Recent outbreaks have only amplified fears that the strategy is even failing in its stipulated aim.
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital went through a week of hostile media washout. This attention was caused by documented instances of abuse and neglect, which showed a pattern of substandard care provided within state institutions. Like many governments across the world over the past 25 years, the health budget per capita in WA has increased by around 158 percent. Since the fiscal year 1999/2000, that has grown at an astounding 313 percent! Despite all this funding, patient care hasn’t gotten better. For years, numerous experts have been sounding the alarm and calling for systemic reform to tackle the problem head-on.
It’s hard to look at the case of Christine Mulhall and not see the system’s failings. She has already waited for almost a year for complicated surgery to remove a large tumor located behind her jaw. Even though her surgery was supposed to be done within 90 days, it has no definite date now—9 months later. This case is indicative of many urgent issues patients are currently experiencing within WA’s healthcare environment.
To make room for emergency patients, more than 100 elective surgeries were canceled, underscoring the emergency’s toll on resources. Plus, ramping records were shattered once again this year, showing just how stretched emergency departments are across WA hospitals. The state’s rapidly aging population exacerbates these issues. There’s a surge in the number of West Australians aged 65 years and older. Perhaps even more crucially, too many older Australians are left dependent on emergency services because an underfunded aged care sector has failed them.
In response, newly installed Premier Roger Cook announced a $50 million emergency fund. This fund will help revitalize outdated hospitals and perform audits to identify systemic issues. This effort may not be sufficient. When we take inflation into account, the real increase in the WA health budget is reduced by more than half. In 2024/25 dollars, it only shows an increase of 24 percent per capita. This mismatch leads us to a critical question: how sustainable or effective is our current funding model?
Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson acknowledged the complexity of the situation, asserting, “If there was a quick fix or a silver bullet, someone would have found it.” Her comments highlight the complexity of issues confronting WA’s health system.
The bigger story being spun by state leadership claims that WA’s healthcare is “top-notch,” thanks to historic government spending. The very real experiences of patients on the ground indicate a huge gap between perception and reality. Eve Foreman, a representative from one local hospital, explained that managing patient flow is critical during busy periods: “As long as we can move patients through the emergency department, we have flow to see the new patients coming in. We can cope with those busier periods.”
Foreman noted that disruptions in patient movement can lead to severe congestion. “When we can’t move the patients out of the emergency department into the hospital … that’s when we have issues with ED feeling busier than it would do normally.”
This winter season has been a real whammy. Health services have barely cope with one of the worst flu seasons we’ve ever experienced. Premier Cook acknowledged this reality, stating, “It’s part and parcel of managing a health system which is, at the moment, managing one of the most severe winter flu seasons on record, so we thank people for their patience.”
Assembling a storm Premier Cook will be at the head of a large delegation to Canberra next week, storming for change. They will call for increased federal funding for aged care services to address long-standing issues. This move highlights the urgency of finding solutions that extend beyond state funding and address systemic issues within the healthcare framework.
