This Budget delivers a record $9.1 billion in additional health and mental health investment, helping to bring more than 900 additional beds online.
The 2026-27 Budget includes a record $6.5 billion hospital services spending boost, and in 2026-27 alone the Cook Labor Government will spend a total of $12.1 billion on hospital services to ensure Western Australians continue to get the healthcare they need.
Since 2017, we have added more than 6,500 nurses and 2,700 doctors (FTE).
Building hospitals
We are investing a record $5.5 billion over the next four years - including an additional $1.5 billion this budget - to build, buy and upgrade hospitals and health infrastructure across our State.
Since 2021, we've added more than 1,000 hospital beds to our public health system.
- 900 additional beds are in the pipeline, including 120 beds coming online over winter months at Joondalup Health Campus and St John of God Midland.
- $500 million boost to the Building Hospitals Fund to resource major hospital projects including the New Women and Babies, Royal Perth and New Mandurah Hospitals, and the Perkins WA Comprehensive Cancer Centre.
- $294 million additional investment in regional hospitals, including Bunbury, Albany, Tom Price, Meekatharra, Geraldton, Laverton and the South Hedland Step Up/ Step Down facility.
- $225 million to buy, commission and commense operations at Mount Lawley Hospital, bringing 118 beds into the public hospital system from September 2026.
- $36.2 million to establish a new Central Commissioning Office to ensure a coordinated operational readiness and commissioning program to bring beds online.
- $214 million for capital hospital maintenance - this is in addition to the more than $1.1 billion recurrent spend on maintaining our hospitals and medical equipment over the next four years.
- $143 million for medical and imaging equipment.
Health services
This Budget includes a record $6.5 billion increase in frontline hospital services expenditure.
Plus, we are investing $433 million to improve access to health services, including alternatives to ED and improvements to patient flow:
- Extending the State Health Operations Centre to improve emergency access and virtual ED.
- Investing in surge private bed capacity during peak winter months.
- Assisting older patients ready to leave hospital by delivering more Time to Think beds and transition care places.
- Supporting people experiencing homelessness with post-acute care through the Medical Respite Centre.
- Training 200 extra pharmacists to diagnose and treat common conditions in the community.
- Expanding Hospital in the Home to support patients in residential aged care.
- Enhancing immunisation access through FluMist, and free flu and RSV vaccinations.
Mental health
$414 million boost for mental health and alcohol and other drugs services.
- $43.8 million baseline funding uplift for community mental health and Alcohol and Other Drug services.
- $48.6 million to provide culturally appropriate social and emotional wellbeing support for Aboriginal people.
- $29.7 million to extend suicide prevention initiatives around the State, including $4.9 million for supports for young people who have lost someone to suicide.
- $15.4 million to roll out WA's first Crisis Recovery and Intervention Support Service.
Regional health
The Budget includes $492 million new investment in regional health and mental health over the next four years.
New investment this Budget includes:
- $294 million additional investment in regional hospitals.
- $16.2 million additional investment in the Broome Renal Hostel project, to support delivery of renal dialysis treatments for people in the Kimberley.
- $68.6 million to extend regional palliative care, renal care support, cancer and other regional health services.
We are supporting more than 35,000 regional Western Australians through the Patient Assisted Transport Scheme - which was increased from 26 cents to 40 cents per kilometre last Budget.