AI to be trialed at Royal Perth Hospital to ease WA health system pressure
Western Australia’s strained health system is turning to artificial intelligence to help free up doctors and nurses for patient care. New data released today show that WA’s emergency departments (EDs) are among the most stretched in the country, with fewer than half of patients seen within the recommended time frames.
These ED delays often reflect pressures on hospital wards, which cannot move patients out of EDs until beds become available. To help keep patient flow steady, WA Health plans a pilot at Royal Perth Hospital funded by the government. Health Minister Meredith Hammat said the AI would be used to forecast options and provide predictive insights from the moment patients arrive.
The technology is expected to aid health workers in scheduling key tasks such as medical imaging, lab tests, pharmacy medication packs, and the preparation of discharge summaries. The pilot aims to improve patient flow and bed availability, particularly during the winter surge.
Ms. Hammat stressed that AI is not intended to replace clinical care, which remains the responsibility of health professionals. Instead, it focuses on how patients move through the hospital system to ensure they are discharged as soon as possible with all necessary supports in place.
Aged care planning for discharged patients
During a later briefing, the minister highlighted that one focus of the trial would be to determine what assistance is needed to discharge patients earlier. She noted that a key challenge is older patients who cannot be discharged until appropriate aged care support is arranged. AI would enable earlier consideration of these needs and start planning sooner in a patient’s journey.
While concerns about AI errors and data security persist, Minister Hammat emphasized that WA’s use would operate within a robust governance framework. A real-time dashboard to monitor bed availability across the health system will also be developed.
WA’s ED wait times and the broader context
New data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare indicate WA had the nation’s worst ED wait times last financial year. The median WA wait time was 44 minutes, more than twice the national median of 18 minutes. Only 46% of WA ED patients were seen on time, compared with 67% nationally, despite WA recording one of the smallest increases in ED presentations among states and territories.
The 2024 influenza season was the worst on record in WA, linked to low vaccination rates, contributing to ambulances spending more time waiting outside hospitals. Health officials say the increased demand is not solely about more people, but about greater complexity in cases, with patients presenting multiple health issues requiring management.
The government also points to a shortage of aged care places, meaning hundreds of West Australians ready for discharge remain in hospital beds longer than necessary. This combination of rising demand, complexity of cases, and limited discharge options helps explain the push to pilot AI to improve bed management and patient flow.
