❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice from Mr Zempilas seeks detailed data on PathWest's forensic biology/DNA and pathology services, including case volumes, turnaround times, outsourcing, and staffing levels. The response provides some data but cites data limitations and resource constraints for fully answering all aspects.
AnsweredQoN 1002Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) I refer to PathWest and I ask for each month from 1 July 2021 to 31 October 2025, how many forensic biology/DNA case files were: (a) Received from WA Police; (b) Completed/reported; and (c) Pending at month-end? (2) For the same months, what were the turnaround times (median and 90th percentile, in calendar days) from case receipt to report issue for: (a) Priority/urgent (e.g., homicide/sexual assault); (b) Serious indictable; and (c) Volume/property crime? (3) As at the last day of each month since 1 July 2021, how many pending DNA cases were aged: (a) >30 days; (b) >60 days; (c) >90 days; (d) >180 days; and (e) >365 days? (4) Over the same period, how many trial or committal dates were adjourned where PathWest advised stakeholders that DNA or pathology work would not be available by the listed date: (a) Please provide the count by month and a brief descriptor of the reason (e.g., capacity constraint; re-work; instrument failure; awaiting exhibits)? (5) What service level agreements (SLAs) or agreed timeframes exist between PathWest and stakeholders (WA Police, ODPP, Coroner) for: (a) forensic biology/DNA; (b) coronial forensic pathology reporting; and (c) For each month since July 2021, what % of cases met the SLA? (6) Since 1 July 2021, how many matters were outsourced interstate (if any) for DNA or related testing: (a) Please provide destination lab, number of cases/exhibits, cost, and rationale? (7) For Forensic Pathology: by month since July 2021, please provide: (a) number of coronial post-mortems; (b) number requested by WA Police for criminal investigations; (c) median and 90th percentile time from admission to final cause-of-death report; and (d) counts aged >90/>180 days at month-end? (8) For each financial year 2021-22 to 2024-25 and 2025-26 (YTD to 31 Oct 2025), please table for PathWest Forensic Biology and Forensic Pathology separately: (a) funded FTE; (b) occupied FTE (average); and (c) vacancies at 31 Oct 2025?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
16 December 2025
Responded by
Minister for Health; Mental Health
Response time
9 days
(1-3)
The data format requested is inconsistent with current data records. For example, DNA case files involve multiple batches of exhibits over different time periods and one case can be reported to the WA Police Force multiple times over multiple months. Similarly, cases pending at the end of the month may be pending because the WA Police Force has submitted additional exhibits for analysis. Provision of monthly statistics in these and other examples may therefore result in the provision of misleading or inaccurate data.
Further, to support the request, extraction and analysis of data would be required to create the statistics, requiring significant resources. Diversion of critical forensic resources for criminal investigations would be significant in order to fulfill this request would be significant and unreasonable.
Monthly data: cases received from WA Police Force (1 July 2021 – 31 October 2025)
Month
ALL CASES
Jul-21
883
Aug-21
939
Sep-21
869
Oct-21
849
Nov-21
891
Dec-21
1,004
Jan-22
1,114
Feb-22
1,116
Mar-22
1,123
Apr-22
839
May-22
1,072
Jun-22
1,060
Jul-22
908
Aug-22
978
Sep-22
953
Oct-22
1,102
Nov-22
1,232
Dec-22
1,063
Jan-23
1,179
Feb-23
1,270
Mar-23
1,414
Apr-23
1,118
May-23
1,298
Jun-23
1,130
Jul-23
957
Aug-23
1,071
Sep-23
1,067
Oct-23
1,174
Nov-23
1,297
Dec-23
1,051
Jan-24
1,330
Feb-24
1,249
Mar-24
1,130
Apr-24
1,269
May-24
1,289
Jun-24
1,012
Jul-24
1,193
Aug-24
1,160
Sep-24
1,150
Oct-24
1,210
Nov-24
1,022
Dec-24
1,135
Jan-25
1,218
Feb-25
1,076
Mar-25
1,111
Apr-25
1,149
May-25
1,218
Jun-25
1,056
Jul-25
965
Aug-25
993
Sep-25
1,135
Oct-25
1,333
(4)
PathWest is not responsible for the scheduling or re-scheduling of trial or committal dates.
(5) (ac)
There is a service level agreement is in place with the Western Australia Police Force for forensic biology and there are other various governance processes in place for the State Coroner to ensure the State Coronial system is operating efficiently.
The service level agreement between WA Police and PathWest seeks that a minimum of 90% of DNA Court reports are to be provided within 12 weeks of the request being made. PathWest meets and exceeds this key performance indicator.
(6) (a) Outsourcing of DNA or related testing interstate is a matter for the WA Police Force.
(7) (a-d) Number of Coronial post-mortems (1 July 2021 – 31 October 2025)
Month
Coronial Post-Mortems
FY total
Average per month
Jul-21
259
Aug-21
239
Sep-21
197
Oct-21
241
Nov-21
229
Dec-21
213
Jan-22
211
Feb-22
230
Mar-22
257
Apr-22
208
May-22
240
Jun-22
245
2769
231
Jul-22
274
Aug-22
260
Sep-22
235
Oct-22
312
Nov-22
308
Dec-22
257
Jan-23
254
Feb-23
220
Mar-23
254
Apr-23
206
May-23
291
Jun-23
253
3124
260
Jul-23
255
Aug-23
292
Sep-23
268
Oct-23
267
Nov-23
264
Dec-23
225
Jan-24
273
Feb-24
283
Mar-24
244
Apr-24
246
May-24
270
Jun-24
252
3139
262
Jul-24
253
Aug-24
263
Sep-24
259
Oct-24
277
Nov-24
247
Dec-24
278
Jan-25
289
Feb-25
235
Mar-25
217
Apr-25
236
May-25
278
Jun-25
262
3094
258
Jul-25
326
Aug-25
277
Sep-25
249
Oct-25
319
1171
293
The WA Police Force does not request Coronial post-mortems, these are requested by the State Coroner’s Office.
(8) Funded, occupied (average) and vacant FTE 1 July 2021 – 31 October 2025.
FORENSIC BIOLOGY
FORENSIC PATHOLOGY
Funded
Occupied
Vacant
Funded
Occupied
Vacant
FTE
FTE
FTE
FTE
FTE
FTE
(a)
(b)
c
(a)
(b)
c
2021-22
102
100
1
34
30
4
2022-23
102
96
5
35
34
1
2023-24
102
95
7
38
36
2
2024-25
108
98
9
39
38
2
Oct 25
107
99
8
40
33
7
The data format requested is inconsistent with current data records. For example, DNA case files involve multiple batches of exhibits over different time periods and one case can be reported to the WA Police Force multiple times over multiple months. Similarly, cases pending at the end of the month may be pending because the WA Police Force has submitted additional exhibits for analysis. Provision of monthly statistics in these and other examples may therefore result in the provision of misleading or inaccurate data.
Further, to support the request, extraction and analysis of data would be required to create the statistics, requiring significant resources. Diversion of critical forensic resources for criminal investigations would be significant in order to fulfill this request would be significant and unreasonable.
Monthly data: cases received from WA Police Force (1 July 2021 – 31 October 2025)
Month
ALL CASES
Jul-21
883
Aug-21
939
Sep-21
869
Oct-21
849
Nov-21
891
Dec-21
1,004
Jan-22
1,114
Feb-22
1,116
Mar-22
1,123
Apr-22
839
May-22
1,072
Jun-22
1,060
Jul-22
908
Aug-22
978
Sep-22
953
Oct-22
1,102
Nov-22
1,232
Dec-22
1,063
Jan-23
1,179
Feb-23
1,270
Mar-23
1,414
Apr-23
1,118
May-23
1,298
Jun-23
1,130
Jul-23
957
Aug-23
1,071
Sep-23
1,067
Oct-23
1,174
Nov-23
1,297
Dec-23
1,051
Jan-24
1,330
Feb-24
1,249
Mar-24
1,130
Apr-24
1,269
May-24
1,289
Jun-24
1,012
Jul-24
1,193
Aug-24
1,160
Sep-24
1,150
Oct-24
1,210
Nov-24
1,022
Dec-24
1,135
Jan-25
1,218
Feb-25
1,076
Mar-25
1,111
Apr-25
1,149
May-25
1,218
Jun-25
1,056
Jul-25
965
Aug-25
993
Sep-25
1,135
Oct-25
1,333
(4)
PathWest is not responsible for the scheduling or re-scheduling of trial or committal dates.
(5) (ac)
There is a service level agreement is in place with the Western Australia Police Force for forensic biology and there are other various governance processes in place for the State Coroner to ensure the State Coronial system is operating efficiently.
The service level agreement between WA Police and PathWest seeks that a minimum of 90% of DNA Court reports are to be provided within 12 weeks of the request being made. PathWest meets and exceeds this key performance indicator.
(6) (a) Outsourcing of DNA or related testing interstate is a matter for the WA Police Force.
(7) (a-d) Number of Coronial post-mortems (1 July 2021 – 31 October 2025)
Month
Coronial Post-Mortems
FY total
Average per month
Jul-21
259
Aug-21
239
Sep-21
197
Oct-21
241
Nov-21
229
Dec-21
213
Jan-22
211
Feb-22
230
Mar-22
257
Apr-22
208
May-22
240
Jun-22
245
2769
231
Jul-22
274
Aug-22
260
Sep-22
235
Oct-22
312
Nov-22
308
Dec-22
257
Jan-23
254
Feb-23
220
Mar-23
254
Apr-23
206
May-23
291
Jun-23
253
3124
260
Jul-23
255
Aug-23
292
Sep-23
268
Oct-23
267
Nov-23
264
Dec-23
225
Jan-24
273
Feb-24
283
Mar-24
244
Apr-24
246
May-24
270
Jun-24
252
3139
262
Jul-24
253
Aug-24
263
Sep-24
259
Oct-24
277
Nov-24
247
Dec-24
278
Jan-25
289
Feb-25
235
Mar-25
217
Apr-25
236
May-25
278
Jun-25
262
3094
258
Jul-25
326
Aug-25
277
Sep-25
249
Oct-25
319
1171
293
The WA Police Force does not request Coronial post-mortems, these are requested by the State Coroner’s Office.
(8) Funded, occupied (average) and vacant FTE 1 July 2021 – 31 October 2025.
FORENSIC BIOLOGY
FORENSIC PATHOLOGY
Funded
Occupied
Vacant
Funded
Occupied
Vacant
FTE
FTE
FTE
FTE
FTE
FTE
(a)
(b)
c
(a)
(b)
c
2021-22
102
100
1
34
30
4
2022-23
102
96
5
35
34
1
2023-24
102
95
7
38
36
2
2024-25
108
98
9
39
38
2
Oct 25
107
99
8
40
33
7
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