Foundation works have begun on the Royal Perth Hospital (RPH) Emergency Department (ED) Expansion Project, marking a major step forward for emergency care in Western Australia.
The $807.3 million project is being funded through the $2 billion Building Hospitals Fund, part of the WA government’s record $5.5 billion investment in health infrastructure across the state.
The new ED will be built on the north-western end of the RPH campus on Wellington Street in the Perth CBD, located approximately 500 metres from the hospital’s current emergency department.
The multi-storey development will include two dedicated floors for a significantly expanded ED, increasing treatment spaces and boosting overall hospital services and capacity.
Construction will progress while the existing ED continues to operate, ensuring patients experience no disruption to care throughout the build.
Once completed, the project will deliver a larger emergency department with increased acute care and fast-track capacity, additional ambulance bays, and improved patient flow.
It will also provide more inpatient capacity to support future growth, along with a link connecting the new facility to the existing hospital to integrate care and operations.
The expansion is considered the starting point for the long-term redevelopment of the RPH precinct.
Master planning is currently underway to guide future development, with a high-level masterplan set to consider current and future models of care, transport links, and opportunities to optimise the precinct for both health and broader community benefit.
The masterplan will prioritise the hospital’s needs, including potential expansion opportunities, to ensure RPH can continue delivering patient care into the future.
A detailed masterplan is expected to be finalised later in the year.
Premier Roger Cook said the milestone reflected the government’s commitment to delivering critical health infrastructure.
He said today’s sod turn represented a critical step forward in delivering a modern, fit-for-purpose emergency department that would support Western Australians for decades to come.
“This project is part of our record investment in hospitals, and it’s about ensuring our emergency departments can meet growing demand now and into the future,” said Cook.
“We’re not just planning for the future, we’re building it.”
Health Infrastructure Minister John Carey said the government was accelerating the delivery of major hospital infrastructure across Western Australia.
He said the government was moving at pace to deliver more clinical capacity, better access, and improved facilities for patients and staff, and that the project demonstrated a new approach focused on getting projects moving and delivering outcomes sooner.
Health Minister Meredith Hammat described the development as an important milestone for Royal Perth Hospital and the patients who rely on its services.
“We are delivering a bigger, more capable emergency department while ensuring the current ED continues to operate without disruption,” said Hammat.
“This ED means more beds, more capacity, and improved patient flow for our State’s leading trauma hospital. We are building for our future so that Western Australians can get the care they need, when they need it.”
Work on the foundation stage will continue in the coming months as the broader RPH redevelopment planning progresses.
