October 1, 2025
WA’s health workforce has united to say “never again” to the ramping crisis that is occurring this year, and are putting forward a positive five-point plan to tackle the underlying causes of ramping.
Doctors, nurses and midwives, allied health professionals, health support staff and ambulance workers carried on under incredible pressure while they met the needs of patients – but they can’t have another winter like this one.
Now their voices need to be heard, as record ramping continues into spring.
Health workers and an unprecedented alliance of health unions who cover more than 90,000 health workers in Western Australia – the Australian Medical Association, the Australian Nursing Federation, the Health Services Union and United Workers Union – are ready to work constructively with the Cook Labor Government to tackle ramping.
Health workers are united on the fixes needed, and they are putting forward positive, solutions-focused measures. The five-point plan endorsed by doctors, nurses and midwives, allied health professionals, health support staff and ambulance workers calls for:
- 400 more aged-care beds
Move non-medical cases into the right care to free acute wards for those who need them most.
- New Emergency Department diversions for better pathways for care
The best diversion is prevention, therefore it is essential to ensure immunisation remains a high priority in the community. Beyond that, expand public health options including access to primary care, Virtual Emergency Departments, sexual assault and domestic violence services, extended-care paramedics and acute mental health supports to keep people out of crowded emergency rooms.
- Staff every bed
Safe health care requires enough staff to have every bed open, especially during winter peaks.
- A 24/7 State needs 7-day hospitals
Operate services at full capacity across weekends to smooth Monday surges and ensure continuity of patient care.
- One rulebook for a unified approach to health care
Set clear, system-wide protocols so patients get timely, consistent treatment everywhere.
See a full copy of The Five-Point Plan to Tackle Ramping and backgrounder HERE.
Kyle Hoath, President, Australian Medical Association (WA), says:
“We don’t want to be a broken record on ramping but neither do we want to keep breaking ramping records.
“As the peak body for WA’s doctors, the AMA (WA) is pleased to stand with our fellow health unions in advocating for this solutions-based approach, and call on the Government to work with us in achieving outcomes.
“For the sake of the WA community, and all healthcare workers, we need to reduce ramping drastically. We need to do it now.”
Romina Raschilla, Australian Nursing Federation WA State Secretary, says:
“Nurses and midwives across the health system have shown incredible resilience through one of the toughest winters on record.
“But the strain isn’t sustainable, both for health workers’ wellbeing and outcomes for the patients which they passionately care for. We need to ensure we have enough staff available and every bed open.
“Listening to its entire workforce, the WA Government needs to pull every lever it has available at its disposal to tackle the modern problems facing WA’s health and care system.”
Naomi McCrae, Health Services Union WA State Secretary, says:
“Hospitals depend so much on allied health staff in areas like pharmacy, pathology and radiology to keep patients moving through the health system, but most of these services are cut down on the weekend.
“This plan puts forward Western Australia’s need for a health system that funds crucial allied health services across seven days.
“This would not only keep patients moving through hospitals, it would help address the ‘Monday surge’ that can displace urgent services needed in serious cases.”
Carolyn Smith, United Workers Union WA State Secretary, says:
“Moving non-medical cases out of hospitals makes beds available for urgent medical cases and helps address ramping.
“This year a peak of more than 300 beds were occupied by non-medical cases, predominantly elderly people with no other bed to go to.
“Creating more aged care beds will be a massive pressure release on a hospital system that went too close to breaking this year.”
Media Contact: 1300 898 633, media@unitedworkers.org.au
