United Workers Union has welcomed the Cook Labor Government’s announcement of new investments across Western Australia’s public hospital system.
The union sees the move as a major step toward rebuilding public healthcare and improving outcomes for patients and staff.
The Government’s new $1.5 billion Building Hospitals Fund will deliver significant new capacity across the system, including:
- The purchase of St John of God Mt Lawley Hospital, adding up to 100 public beds and eight operating theatres.
- A new six-storey emergency department and mental health facility at Royal Perth Hospital, improving ambulance access and increasing capacity.
- A new greenfield hospital to replace Peel Health Campus in Mandurah, expanding emergency, palliative care and cancer treatment services.
The Mt Lawley Hospital acquisition starts to deliver on key pillars of four major health unions’ Five Point Plan to Tackle Ramping, developed by UWU, Australian Nursing Federation (ANF), Health Services Union (HSUWA) and the Australian Medical Association (AMA WA).
The plan called for better provision of diversionary pathways – including for patients with mental health issues – appropriate staffing levels and more public aged care and sub-acute beds to ease pressure on emergency departments.
Moving Mt Lawley Hospital workers into the public sector will bring major benefits to staff, including improved consultation on workplace change, stronger roster consultation, public sector pay and penalty rates, and access to secure conditions such as enhanced leave and career progression.
This decision highlights the importance of insourcing essential services, building public sector capacity, easing pressure on the broader health workforce and ensuring quality care for patients through stable well-supported staff.
Quotes attributable to Lisa Judge, Public Sector Co-ordinator, United Workers Union:
“This investment is exactly what health workers have been calling for. Expanding public capacity, improving links with aged care, improved mental health services, and putting essential services back in public hands will make a real difference for patients and workers alike.
“We welcome this spending as a practical commitment to improving care, not just expanding infrastructure. It’s encouraging to see the Cook Labor Government listening to workers who know the system best and acting on their solutions.
“This shows what is possible when unions and frontline workers unite behind a shared goal, delivering a stronger, fairer public health system for all Western Australians.”