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WA government tips $50 million into hospitals but denies reports of ailing system
By Hannah Murphy
The West Australian government has committed $50 million dollars towards hospital maintenance and improvement across the state, despite continuing to deny allegations the health system is in crisis.
Premier Roger Cook, Health Minister Meredith Hammat and Health Infrastructure Minister John Carey made the announcement on Monday, committing the multi-million dollar fund to work in three major WA health services.
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital had reports of radioactive waste leaking in 2023.Credit: Getty Images
Cook said there would also be an audited review of how hospital infrastructure was currently maintained.
“We have listened to the concerns of workers in the community and our heritage hospitals when it comes to maintenance,” he said.
“Today, I’m announcing that my government will establish a $50 million health infrastructure maintenance fund, and this fund will focus on projects at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Royal Perth Hospital and Armadale Health Service.
“We will roll out [this] out across 2025/26 and 2026/27.”
The announcement comes after unprecedented pressure was placed on the state government over the WA’s ailing health system.
The West Australian reported internal documents showed more than 1000 work orders were inundating maintenance crews between January 2023 and June 2025 – the most serious being a pipe bursting that caused an “urgent rapid radiation leakage”.
However, Carey has remained adamant the claim about radioactive material leaking was not true.
But the reports come as St John Ambulance deals with record levels of ramping due in part, according to the Australian Medical Association, to the state’s lack of hospital beds for the ageing population.
There have also been two separate reports of Fiona Stanley Hospital patients contracting serious infections during ankle surgery, which required amputations.
Health Infastructure Minister John Carey.Credit: Hamish Hastie
Despite continuously denying reports that outdated infrastructure had caused multiple health issues for patients in some of WA’s hospitals, including leaking “radioactive waste” and black mould, Carey said the funding was aimed at three of the state’s oldest health services.
“We’re dealing with those urgent priority works,” he said.
Former under treasurer Michael Barnes and former department of health director general Neale Fong will also lead an audit into health maintenance and procurement.
“In addition we’ll also be undertaking a review … this will be overseen by Department of Premier and Cabinet and the purpose is to look at our procurement processes and how we can be as efficient as possible to deliver the maintenance and upgrades we need,” Carey said.
“This is an acknowledgement there’s more work to do.”
However, both Carey and Cook maintained the WA health system continued to be one of the best in the nation.
“We have the best doctors, nurses and health professionals working through our system and many of the metrics that I’m about to mention point to their great work.
“No other state sees a higher proportion of people through their emergency departments in under four hours than in Western Australia, and our record amount of elective surgery are being performed across the state.
“But that doesn’t mean that there’s not more work to do.”
Australian Medical Association WA president Dr Kyle Hoath said the investment was a “great start” to addressing problems with ageing infrastructure, which the association saw as a priority.
“He can say we’d like to have seen it sooner, and we can say that this is a problem that’s been around for a while, that we’ve been asking about for a while, but nevertheless, thankful to see that some action has been taken,” he said.
“We can’t ignore the fact that our current hospital infrastructure needed this urgent support to bring it up to scratch ... this isn’t going to solve our ramping problem, and this isn’t going to solve some of the bed shortages and aged care challenges that we’re facing, but it’s still important and needed to be done.”
While welcoming the funding and review, Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas lambasted the government for “dismissing” concerns about the state’s healthcare system.
“Less than a week ago, the premier of Western Australia ridiculed me, the Libs, the opposition and others who raised these very serious concerns,” Zempilas said.
Liberal leader Basil Zempilas.Credit: Connor McGoverne
“And in fact, in the parliamentary chamber, less than a week ago, last Tuesday, I asked him, would he commit funding to fix these problems, and would he commit to an audit, two things that he has this afternoon announced.”
Zempilas also pointed to a health review published in 2019 that called for an audit into how hospital infrastructure was maintained, and for more funding to fix infrastructure problems.
“Why is it that six years later, it’s only being actioned today after a week of publicity that has demonstrated to everybody the severe failings of this state government when it comes to managing health?” Zempilas said.
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