- Cook Government releases comprehensive plan for managing winter hospital demand
- 2026 Winter Strategy is backed by an additional $140 million investment
- Key focus on preventative measures including $14 million in funding for immunisation programs
- More than 200 additional beds to be available for public patients
- Additional $24.5 million invested into nation-leading Time to Think program to help more older patients safely leave hospital
- St John of God Mount Lawley transition to public ownership is well underway
The Cook Government has launched its 2026 Winter Strategy, providing Western Australians early insight into measures planned to manage the public hospital system in the high-impact respiratory illness season.
The Winter Strategy 2026 is designed to boost health system resilience and support the community to ensure Western Australians can access safe and appropriate care during the months with highest demand.
Last year was one of the toughest on record, with almost 1.2 million emergency department visits and more than 700,000 public hospital admissions.
The State Government is investing more than $140 million to ensure Western Australia's health system is prepared, responsive, and well-co-ordinated ahead of winter. This is on top of a record $4.9 billion health infrastructure plan which is building capacity across the system.
Key pillars of the Winter Strategy are:
- Prevention - supporting people to stay well through vaccination and clear health information, reducing avoidable hospital care;
- Patient flow - improving how people move through the health system so they receive timely, safe treatment;
- Bed capacity - investing in new beds, virtual care, and innovative services to expand capacity when it is needed most;
- Caring for older people - ensuring older Western Australians receive the right care in the right place, including recovering at home where appropriate;
- Education - helping the community know where to go - GPs, community services, or emergency care - based on their needs; and
- Workforce - strengthening clinical coverage and support to meet demand.
Part of the strategy includes a $14 million investment in immunisation programs, initiatives, and awareness to protect the community from influenza and RSV, with WA offering the needle-free FluMist spray for children aged 2 to 11.
The acquisition of St John of God Mount Lawley Hospital will be complete by 31 August 2026, with the program to transition the service into public ownership well underway.
Following the transition, the hospital will be known as Mount Lawley Hospital and will operate as part of the State's public health system.
Significantly, prior to the transition, more beds at the hospital will be made available for public use during winter, supporting the broader health system's winter strategy and helping to ease pressure across Perth's public hospitals.
The State Government will also work with the private sector to take on more elective surgeries in times of extreme demand, so more public beds are available for life-threatening conditions.
The Winter Strategy 2026 is about taking a proactive approach to managing demand on the WA health system. It combines immediate operational measures with longer-term structural reform, ensuring the system is not only managing winter pressures but building capability for the future.
Through early investment, strengthened governance and expanded service delivery, the State Government is reinforcing a health system that continues to adapt, improve, and deliver for Western Australians.
Click the following link to view the 2026 Winter Strategy online: www.health.wa.gov.au/Reports-and-publications/Winter-Strategy
As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
"My government is committed to ensuring all Western Australians can access the healthcare they need, when they need it.
"Our 2026 Winter Strategy helps us deliver on this commitment.
"This strategy covers every facet, from preventative health through immunisation programs, to our record infrastructure boost, to building capacity, virtual options, caring for older Western Australians in our community, and harnessing cutting-edge technology to drive efficiencies in our hospitals.
"Western Australians can be assured that we have strong plan to make sure they can access the healthcare they need this winter."
As stated by Health Minister Meredith Hammat:
"Our Winter Strategy is about ensuring our health system works at its best so Western Australians have access to the healthcare they need, during the period of highest demand.
"Through preventative measures to keep people well, to expanded capacity to treat even more people in hospital, and more Time to Think beds to free up beds for those who need it most, our government is meeting record demand with record investment.
"Most significantly, in the coming months we will be acquiring St John of God Mount Lawley, with the new public facility to be named Mount Lawley Hospital.
"The hospital's transition to public hands will be complete by midnight on 31 August, however we have arranged for more of those beds to be available early to support further support winter demand."
As stated by Preventative Health Minister Sabine Winton:
"Vaccination is one of the best ways we can protect each other,keep vulnerable Western Australians well, and support a more resilient health system over winter.
"That's why our government is continuing initiatives including the free flu program, and RSV immunisations for infants.
"We have secured 130,000 doses of the FluMist intranasal spray for children aged 2 to under 12, and we are introducing an RSV vaccination program for aged care residents to protect older Western Australians from serious respiratory illness.
"We are expanding access by allowing pharmacists to immunise children from two years old, and by supporting GPs and other health providers with grants to deliver more vaccinations, so people can receive care where they already go."
As stated by Aged Care and Seniors Minister Simone McGurk:
"We are expanding care-at-home programs, including Hospital in the Home and virtual care services, so people can recover safely without needing to stay in hospital.
"Our WA-first RSV program targeting seniors in our residential aged care facilities will keep older Western Australians well and out of hospital.
"We are expanding specialist care for older people in their own home with $20.3 million into our Transition Care Program at Home introducing new 24/7 monitoring for patients, using technology that supports a safe recovery at home.
"Building on our success, we are continuing to improve care for older Western Australians, including providing more Time to Think beds and opening three new Older Adult Care Hubs in the metropolitan area."
