Pilbara

The Pilbara covers an area of 645,00 square kilometres, incorporating pastoral and mining communities together with coastal communities that have strong fishing and tourism industries.

The main population centres of the Pilbara include Port Hedland, Karratha and Newman, with smaller communities located at Onslow, Tom Price and Paraburdoo.

The main hospitals are situated at Karratha and Port Hedland.  Population Health (Comnmunity & Allied Health), mental health and community-based aged care services also operate from these centres.  Smaller hospitals are located at Onslow, Newman, Tom Price, Paraburdoo and Roebourne.  There are remote area nursing posts in so some  of the smaller communities including marble Bar and Nullagine.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service, several Aboriginal Community Controlled Aboriginal Health Services, The Pilbara Division of General Practise and a number of aged care service providers also make up a large part of the health service profile.

Public health services exist in the Pilbara and are based in Port Hedland.  There is also a renal dialysis satellite service in Port Hedland.  Dental services are predominantly publicly provided but with private dentists operating in Port Hedland, Karratha and Tom Price.

Many medical practitioners are employed by the State health system or Aboriginal medical services and funding in the form of Medicare payments to the north west of WA is therefore disproportionately low.  The Pilbara also has a high proportion of Aboriginal people and regional health services work closely with Aboriginal health services to develop joint initiatives.

The unique challenges to providing health services in remote areas with highly transient populations has let to an exploration of new models of service for some of the inland Pilbara towns an example being a former hospital being converted into a health centre incorporating an A&E at Wickham

[Click here to view detailed map of this region]

Contact Information:

Senior Staff:

Units reporting to Pilbara :