❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice addresses forensic medical examination (FME) capacity and training in light of increased sexual assault reports. The response provides data on staffing, locations, funding, and policies, while acknowledging data gaps and ongoing efforts to improve services, particularly in regional areas and for paediatric and Aboriginal victim-survivors.
AnsweredQoN 797Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the most recent WA Police crime statistics showing an increase in reports of sexual assault in Western Australia (WA), and to the Department of Health’s previous responses to question on notice 442, regarding forensic medical examination (FME) capacity and training, and I ask: (a) of the 116 staff who have received SARC forensic training since September 2023, can the Minister please provide the following: (i) number of staff still actively employed and available to conduct forensic medical examinations in WA; (ii) locations of each of the existing trained staff; and (iii) number of trained staff participating in any on-call roster arrangements to provide out-of-hours forensic medical examination coverage; (b) has the Department undertaken any workforce modelling to determine the number of forensic health professionals required to meet current and projected demand for forensic medical examinations; (c) if yes to (b), what are the results of this modelling; (d) if no to (b), why not; (e) for each of the last five financial years, how many forensic medical examinations were conducted: (i) in metropolitan Perth; and (ii) in each regional health service or hospital; (f) has the Department undertaken a gap analysis or needs assessment regarding the accessibility of forensic medical examinations in regional and remote WA; (g) if yes to (f), please table the findings; (h) if no to (f), why not; (i) has the Department allocated any funding since 2023 to expanding the roster of on-call practitioners who are trained and able to provide a forensic medical examination; (j) if yes to (i), how much; (k) has the Department allocated any funding since 2023 to incentivising or supporting regional placements for practitioners qualified to provide forensic medical examinations; (l) if yes to (k), how much; (m) outside of Perth Children’s Hospital, how many regional facilities have paediatric forensic capacity; (n) in reference to (m), where are they located; (o) how many times were child victims transferred to Perth for forensic medical examinations in the last five years; (p) what steps is the Department taking to increase the number of paediatric forensically trained staff to meet statewide needs; (q) what steps is the Department taking to improve the quality and consistency of data collection on sexual assault presentations and forensic medical examinations across health services, given that current data is acknowledged to be incomplete or inaccurate; (r) will the Minister commit to publicly reporting annual forensic medical examination presentation numbers, wait times and service coverage; (s) what protocols are in place to ensure victim-survivors are not left waiting in distressing conditions while awaiting a forensic medical examination (e.g. being told not to eat, drink or change clothes); (t) how is the Minister ensuring that Aboriginal victim-survivors have culturally secure access to forensic and medical care following sexual assault, including access to translators, support person(s), and access to transport; and (u) what steps are being taken to integrate or co-locate specialist sexual assault support services (e.g. trauma counselling, crisis support) with forensic medical examination services, particularly in regional areas?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
2 December 2025
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health
Response time
7 days
a) Of the 116 WA Country Health Service (WACHS) staff who have received forensic training since September 2023:
i) 107 of these staff remain employed by WACHS.
ii) They are located in Albany, Newman, Beverley, Northam, Blackwood, Northampton, Boddington, Northcliffe, Boulder, Pingelly, Bremer Bay, Ravensthorpe, Bridgetown, Roebourne, Broome, Southern Cross, Bruce Rock, Tom Price, Bunbury, Warren, Busselton, York, Carnarvon, Corrigin, Dalwallinu, Denmark, Derby, Donnybrook, Esperance, Fitzroy Crossing, Geraldton, Halls Creek, Harvey, Hedland, Jerramungup, Jurien Bay, Kalbarri, Kalgan, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Katanning, Kellerberrin, Kojonup, Kununurra, Laverton, Leonora, Margaret River, Manjimup, Merredin, Mount Barker, Mount Tarcoola, and Narrogin.
iii) WACHS sites do not routinely require an on-call roster for after-hours forensic medical examination coverage. When a presentation occurs, staff contact the regionally listed clinicians who have completed forensic training.
The Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC) provides 24/7 consultation and specialist advice from clinical forensic medicine staff to support forensic medical examinations.
b)- d) Workforce needs will be explored through the Community Women’s Health Services (CWHS) Strategic Commissioning Program.
e) i) Forensic medical examinations conducted in metropolitan Perth*:
2020: 279
2021: 304
2022: 283
2023: 265
2024: 284
2025: 201 (up to 27 October 2025)
* Data provided for calendar years.
Assessments for sexual assault conducted in Metropollitan Perth**
2020/21 113
2021/22 8
2022/23 79
2023/24 92
2024/25 102
**Data provided for financial years.
ii) This data is not available.
f ) No.
g) N/A.
h) The accessibility of forensic medical examinations in regional and remote WA will be explored through the CWHS Strategic Commissioning Program.
i) Yes.
j) SARC receive $60,000 per annum to undertake forensic medical training, including the provision of training in regional WA.
k) No.
l) N/A.
m) - n) Seven regional WACHS facilities are able to deliver paediatric forensic services. These are located in Bunbury, Albany, Kalgoorlie, Geraldton, Broome, Port Hedland, and Karratha.
o) For the period of 2024-25, <5 paediatric patients were transferred to a Perth forensic examination. Data prior to this is not available.
p) SARC provides care to victims from the age of 13 and have incorporated training informed by the Child Protection Unit into the Forensic Training Program.
q) As of August 2025 the Department of Health has a policy applicable to Health Service Providers (HSPs) and outlines the minimum requirements for providing forensic and medical care to individuals aged 13 years or older who have experienced a recent sexual assault. The policy requires HSPs to submit an annual report to provide information on the number of sexual assault presentations, referrals to SARC, recent and historical cases of sexual assault presentations, clinical incident review processes conducted and demographic information.
r) Any decision to publish this specific data would need to consider the safety of patients. Data is published through a range of mechanisms.
s) The Department of Health policies and procedures are based on trauma informed care principles and outlines the key processes for the assessment and management of an individual following a sexual assault to ensure they can access medical and forensic care, where appropriate, and minimise the potential for further trauma. The procedure addresses psychosocial support and safety and requires health care professionals adopt practices of privacy and confidentiality, providing and respecting choices and offering access to support people.
Early evidence kits (EEKs) allow for early collection of time sensitive evidence to provide some comfort to the victim-survivor, and allow them to eat, drink, change their clothing and access other comfort measures. EEKs are available statewide with 24/7 support from clinical forensic medicine staff at SARC.
t) SARC has access to services as part of Women’s and Newborn’s Health Service, including Aboriginal Health Liaison Officers, transport services and translation services. SARC has recently undertaken to expand the ‘qualified’ persons under the Criminal Investigations Act 2006 to include Aboriginal Healthcare workers registered with AHPRA.
WACHS requires all regions to provide trauma-informed, respectful responses that include access to a support person, interpreter services (including Aboriginal Interpreting WA), and culturally appropriate information. Where transport is required for forensic or medical care, arrangements are made to ensure timely and safe access to services. Accessibility of culturally secure support services for victim-survivors will be explored through the CWHS Strategic Commissioning Program.
u) The SARC model integrates a co-located specialist sexual health service with forensic medical examination services. The development and delivery of contemporary service models for specialist sexual assault support services is in scope of the CWHS Strategic Commissioning Program.
i) 107 of these staff remain employed by WACHS.
ii) They are located in Albany, Newman, Beverley, Northam, Blackwood, Northampton, Boddington, Northcliffe, Boulder, Pingelly, Bremer Bay, Ravensthorpe, Bridgetown, Roebourne, Broome, Southern Cross, Bruce Rock, Tom Price, Bunbury, Warren, Busselton, York, Carnarvon, Corrigin, Dalwallinu, Denmark, Derby, Donnybrook, Esperance, Fitzroy Crossing, Geraldton, Halls Creek, Harvey, Hedland, Jerramungup, Jurien Bay, Kalbarri, Kalgan, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Katanning, Kellerberrin, Kojonup, Kununurra, Laverton, Leonora, Margaret River, Manjimup, Merredin, Mount Barker, Mount Tarcoola, and Narrogin.
iii) WACHS sites do not routinely require an on-call roster for after-hours forensic medical examination coverage. When a presentation occurs, staff contact the regionally listed clinicians who have completed forensic training.
The Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC) provides 24/7 consultation and specialist advice from clinical forensic medicine staff to support forensic medical examinations.
b)- d) Workforce needs will be explored through the Community Women’s Health Services (CWHS) Strategic Commissioning Program.
e) i) Forensic medical examinations conducted in metropolitan Perth*:
2020: 279
2021: 304
2022: 283
2023: 265
2024: 284
2025: 201 (up to 27 October 2025)
* Data provided for calendar years.
Assessments for sexual assault conducted in Metropollitan Perth**
2020/21 113
2021/22 8
2022/23 79
2023/24 92
2024/25 102
**Data provided for financial years.
ii) This data is not available.
f ) No.
g) N/A.
h) The accessibility of forensic medical examinations in regional and remote WA will be explored through the CWHS Strategic Commissioning Program.
i) Yes.
j) SARC receive $60,000 per annum to undertake forensic medical training, including the provision of training in regional WA.
k) No.
l) N/A.
m) - n) Seven regional WACHS facilities are able to deliver paediatric forensic services. These are located in Bunbury, Albany, Kalgoorlie, Geraldton, Broome, Port Hedland, and Karratha.
o) For the period of 2024-25, <5 paediatric patients were transferred to a Perth forensic examination. Data prior to this is not available.
p) SARC provides care to victims from the age of 13 and have incorporated training informed by the Child Protection Unit into the Forensic Training Program.
q) As of August 2025 the Department of Health has a policy applicable to Health Service Providers (HSPs) and outlines the minimum requirements for providing forensic and medical care to individuals aged 13 years or older who have experienced a recent sexual assault. The policy requires HSPs to submit an annual report to provide information on the number of sexual assault presentations, referrals to SARC, recent and historical cases of sexual assault presentations, clinical incident review processes conducted and demographic information.
r) Any decision to publish this specific data would need to consider the safety of patients. Data is published through a range of mechanisms.
s) The Department of Health policies and procedures are based on trauma informed care principles and outlines the key processes for the assessment and management of an individual following a sexual assault to ensure they can access medical and forensic care, where appropriate, and minimise the potential for further trauma. The procedure addresses psychosocial support and safety and requires health care professionals adopt practices of privacy and confidentiality, providing and respecting choices and offering access to support people.
Early evidence kits (EEKs) allow for early collection of time sensitive evidence to provide some comfort to the victim-survivor, and allow them to eat, drink, change their clothing and access other comfort measures. EEKs are available statewide with 24/7 support from clinical forensic medicine staff at SARC.
t) SARC has access to services as part of Women’s and Newborn’s Health Service, including Aboriginal Health Liaison Officers, transport services and translation services. SARC has recently undertaken to expand the ‘qualified’ persons under the Criminal Investigations Act 2006 to include Aboriginal Healthcare workers registered with AHPRA.
WACHS requires all regions to provide trauma-informed, respectful responses that include access to a support person, interpreter services (including Aboriginal Interpreting WA), and culturally appropriate information. Where transport is required for forensic or medical care, arrangements are made to ensure timely and safe access to services. Accessibility of culturally secure support services for victim-survivors will be explored through the CWHS Strategic Commissioning Program.
u) The SARC model integrates a co-located specialist sexual health service with forensic medical examination services. The development and delivery of contemporary service models for specialist sexual assault support services is in scope of the CWHS Strategic Commissioning Program.
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