Improving health in WA

• Ambulance Mental Health Co-Response
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• State Health Operations Centre
• Sustainable Health Review
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• WA Mobile Radiology Pilot Project
• Public health
• Clinical Senate of Western Australia
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• Aboriginal Health
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  • WA Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Framework 2015–2030
  • Closing the Gap
  • Aboriginal Cultural eLearning
  • Aboriginal workforce
  • Welcome to country and acknowledgement of traditional ownership
  • Aboriginal resources
  • Key Aboriginal health contacts
• Aeromedical Services WA Inquiry
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  • Formal hearings
• Elective services reform
• WA Emergency Access Target
• Climate change and sustainability
• Climate Health WA Inquiry
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• WA Health Excellence Awards
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  • 2024 winners
• Review of Safety and Quality
• Health and Disability Services Complaints Office (HaDSCO)
• Health and Wellbeing Surveillance System
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• Statement of commitment to child safety and wellbeing

Climate change and sustainability

The Western Australia (WA) Government, through the Western Australian Climate Policy (external site), is committed to achieving net-zero emissions for WA by 2050 (external site) and to improving the state’s resilience to the effects of climate change.

These effects include rising temperatures and changing climatic conditions, as well as more frequent and intense extreme weather events. All these effects are linked with a range of health impacts that exacerbate existing health inequities and place increasing pressure on our health system.

In addition to being frontline in the response to climate threats, the health system is also a major source of emissions and waste. It is estimated that WA Health contributes approximately 8 per cent of total WA emissions.

In 2019, the Sustainable Health Review Final Report was published, with a key recommendation to reduce the health system’s environmental footprint and ensure mitigation and adaptation strategies are in place to respond to the health impacts and risks of climate change.

In 2020, the Government released the Climate Health WA Inquiry Final Report, which was the outcome of the first statutory inquiry anywhere in the world focused on the health impacts of climate change. The inquiry found that we must urgently reduce global emissions and identify and manage local climate health risks if we are going to avoid the worst health impacts of climate change.

The Department of Health established the Sustainable Development Unit (SDU) in 2021 to lead and coordinate a systemwide response on climate action and sustainability.

Climate action plan

The WA Health Climate Action Plan was published in 2023 and details the total carbon footprint of WA Health in 2020. The results of the carbon footprint assessment will guide decision-making and inform a clear path to decarbonise our health system.

WA Health sustainability strategy

The WA Health Strategy for an environmentally sustainable, low carbon and climate-resilient healthcare system (the Strategy) has been developed to support the excellent work already underway at our local hospitals and health service providers and supports the development and implementation of environmentally sustainable activities across our system.

More information

Email the Sustainable Development Unit (SDU): SDU@health.wa.gov.au.