By businessnewstips 
Western Australia will unveil its first Preventative Health Strategy at a time when public systems are under strain and people are asking tough questions about long-term care.
Six roundtables will bring together senior figures from government, research institutes and advocacy groups to create what officials describe as a ‘landmark policy direction’.
A strategy built around prevention
Immunisation rates, cancer screening participation, sexual health services and mental health support will be key themes of the consultation process.
Elements such as online treatment for anxiety will be discussed in depth, particularly with Western Australia’s vast geography adding another layer of complexity to the delivery of services.
Remote communities face different barriers from metropolitan suburbs, and a statewide strategy must account for both halves of the equation.
Health Minister Meredith Hammat has underlined vaccination uptake, early screening and healthier daily habits as other central pillars.
The discussions will also assess injury prevention, tobacco and vaping controls, and cross-government schemes that link housing, education and community services with health outcomes.
This demonstrates understanding that wellbeing does not begin at the hospital door – it is shaped in schools, homes and workplaces.
Public consultation will also come through in the coming months through the Department of Health, enlarging the circle beyond policy rooms.
The Role of Telehealth in a Preventative Era
Telehealth has become necessity in Australia’s healthcare system, with digital consultations often the difference between timely advice and a delayed diagnosis for local citizens.
In cosmopolitan areas, telehealth reduces waiting rooms and travel time, easing the daily pressures on patients and healthcare providers alike.
A preventative strategy that overlooks digital access would be incomplete, as early mental health intervention, follow-up screening and chronic disease management can all be done through secure virtual platforms that widen reach without replacing the need for in-person care.
The growth of privately owned telehealth services has introduced differences in pricing, prescription models and clinical lapses.
Patients are increasingly channelling a complex marketplace alongside the public system, a shift that explains why many of them now rely on comparison platforms such as Medicompare to find reputable services.
Medicompare allows users to assess telehealth providers based on consultation fees, scope of service, regulatory compliance and more.
Transparency is essential in preventative care because if cost becomes an obstacle, screening and early advice are postponed, undermining the goals of this policy.
A patient who can access medical advice quickly, affordably and safely is more likely to seek help before illness spirals out of control.
The conversation around prevention extends beyond vaccines and lifestyle campaigns – it includes infrastructure, digital literacy and trust in emerging healthcare models.
From Roundtable to Reform: What Success Will Look Like
Western Australia’s Preventative Health Strategy will be measured by observable transformations such as higher screening rates, improved vaccination coverage, and declines in preventable hospital admissions.
The six roundtables will discuss clinical and research perspectives from the Public Health Association of Australia, the Australian Medical Association, and The Kids Research Institute Australia and Cancer Council WA. Community organisations will bring essential stories from the ground.
Officials have tagged prevention as the most powerful tool available to improve results and that assertion carries weight, but it also calls for accountability.
To ensure investment follows intent, public campaigns need funding, rural outreach requires transport and staffing. Digital services also require consistent oversight.
Because a uniform message rarely brings uniform results, Western Australia’s diverse population distribution necessitates targeted population strategies that address the unambiguous risk profiles of Indigenous communities, culturally diverse suburbs and ageing regional towns.
If the strategy works well with cross-government efforts, it could ease long-term strain on the Western Australian healthcare system.
The months ahead will determine whether consultation translates into genuine reform, as local citizens look beyond the language of the final document to the specific budget lines and implementation plans that follow.