❓ This parliamentary question inquires about the number of emergency patients from the Joondalup area who were transferred to other major Perth hospitals, rather than Joondalup Health Campus, during the 2025/26 financial year. The WA Health response indicates that the requested data is not readily available in the format asked, but provides general context on patient transfers and data availability.
AnsweredQoN 1662Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to reports of emergency patients in the northern suburbs, including in Joondalup itself, being transferred by ambulance over 40km away to Fiona Stanley Hospital, and I ask:(a) for 2025/26 to date, approximately how many patients picked up from areas that would normally be within the catchment of Joondalup Health Campus have been transferred to:(i) Fiona Stanley Hospital;(ii) Royal Perth Hospital; and(iii) Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital?
I refer to reports of emergency patients in the northern suburbs, including in Joondalup itself, being transferred by ambulance over 40km away to Fiona Stanley Hospital, and I ask:
(a) for 2025/26 to date, approximately how many patients picked up from areas that would normally be within the catchment of Joondalup Health Campus have been transferred to:
(i) Fiona Stanley Hospital;
(ii) Royal Perth Hospital; and
(iii) Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital?
I refer to reports of emergency patients in the northern suburbs, including in Joondalup itself, being transferred by ambulance over 40km away to Fiona Stanley Hospital, and I ask:
(a) for 2025/26 to date, approximately how many patients picked up from areas that would normally be within the catchment of Joondalup Health Campus have been transferred to:
(i) Fiona Stanley Hospital;
(ii) Royal Perth Hospital; and
(iii) Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
18 June 2026
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health
Response time
6 days
Data is not currently captured in alignment with the information requested.
Providing a breakdown of this information as requested would require substantial analysis and would necessitate requesting further information from SJWA.
Accordingly WA Health is unable to provide the specific information requested, however the following information may assist:
Joondalup Health Campus sits within the North Metropolitan Health Service catchment. To ensure the best patient care, ambulances may transfer patients between catchments where required.
There are a range of reasons a patient may be taken to a hospital that is not the closest geographically located. Such transfers are undertaken based on the clinical needs of the patient and the specialist services available at each hospital. For example, Royal Perth Hospital is home to the State Adult Major Trauma Centre. The Centre cares for approximately 90% of adult major trauma in Western Australia and receives patients from all catchments
Longer transfers are minimised wherever possible and are carefully assessed to ensure they are in the best interests of the patient, particularly where specialised services are only available at specific facilities.
The State Health Operations Centre, managed by WA Health, assists Health Service Providers and St John Ambulance in the safe and efficient management of ambulance flow.
WA Health provides a range of data on ambulance and emergency department activity available to the public online, including data attributed to Joondalup Health Campus. For example, data published by day includes:
· live emergency department waiting time
· number of ambulance attendances (daily)
· Triage 4 median wait time
· Percentage of ambulances transferred within 30 minutes.
Monthly performance data is also available and can be used to measure performance of each public hospital.
Providing a breakdown of this information as requested would require substantial analysis and would necessitate requesting further information from SJWA.
Accordingly WA Health is unable to provide the specific information requested, however the following information may assist:
Joondalup Health Campus sits within the North Metropolitan Health Service catchment. To ensure the best patient care, ambulances may transfer patients between catchments where required.
There are a range of reasons a patient may be taken to a hospital that is not the closest geographically located. Such transfers are undertaken based on the clinical needs of the patient and the specialist services available at each hospital. For example, Royal Perth Hospital is home to the State Adult Major Trauma Centre. The Centre cares for approximately 90% of adult major trauma in Western Australia and receives patients from all catchments
Longer transfers are minimised wherever possible and are carefully assessed to ensure they are in the best interests of the patient, particularly where specialised services are only available at specific facilities.
The State Health Operations Centre, managed by WA Health, assists Health Service Providers and St John Ambulance in the safe and efficient management of ambulance flow.
WA Health provides a range of data on ambulance and emergency department activity available to the public online, including data attributed to Joondalup Health Campus. For example, data published by day includes:
· live emergency department waiting time
· number of ambulance attendances (daily)
· Triage 4 median wait time
· Percentage of ambulances transferred within 30 minutes.
Monthly performance data is also available and can be used to measure performance of each public hospital.
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