- Cook Government invests $700,000 in an Artificial Intelligence (AI) pilot to optimise patient flow
- Pilot will use AI to predict length of stay and streamline hospital workflows to improve bed availability
- The pilot will launch at Royal Perth Hospital for the 2026 winter season
- Cook Government supporting the wellbeing of Western Australians by making the most of existing hospital capacity
The Cook Government is investing $700,000 in an innovative AI pilot to strengthen the State's health system and support timely access to care in the winter season.
The Office of Digital Government will partner with WA Health to deliver the AI-enabled solution, which is hoped to streamline workflows and improve bed availability.
The technology will schedule key tasks such as medical imaging, laboratory tests, pharmacy medication packs, and preparing discharge summaries, helping hospitals to coordinate care more efficiently.
WA Health will also develop a new, system-wide data platform designed to strengthen how patients are supported from presentation through to discharge.
Supporting the work of the State Health Operations Centre (SHOC), the data from the platform will feed into live dashboard, giving SHOC and our hospitals a clearer view of demand, capacity and patient movement across the entire public health system.
The AI pilot will launch at Royal Perth Hospital for the 2026 winter season and is supported by a robust governance framework to ensure the safe and responsible deployment of AI technologies.
If successful, this pilot has the potential to be scaled across multiple hospitals and integrated with other digital health initiatives, creating a health system that delivers more efficient care for all Western Australians.
As stated by Health Minister Meredith Hammat:
"This pilot is another important step in modernising our hospitals and improving timely access to care.
"By improving patient movement in the system, we can reduce delays, ease pressure on frontline staff and most importantly, improve health outcomes for the Western Australian community.
"Teamed with the system-wide platform, this technology is about ensuring our health system is as efficient as possible, so our growing and ageing population continues to get access to the healthcare they need, when they need it."
As stated by Science and Innovation and Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson:
"This project shows how digital innovation can make a real difference in people's lives by improving the efficiency of essential services.
"The Cook Government is proud to lead the way in applying AI responsibly to deliver smarter, more effective solutions for the community."
