WA State Trauma System and Services
There are three main areas of focus: clinical care, injury prevention, and education and research.
The state committee structure was reviewed and updated to align with these areas. In 2025, the State Trauma Advisory Group (STAG) was established as the governing body.
Three working groups were created to support each focus area:
- State Trauma Clinical Care Working Group (STCCWG)
- State Trauma Injury Prevention Working Group (STIPWG)
- State Trauma Education and Research Working Group (STERWG)
The State Director provides leadership and oversight of the WA State Data, the Trauma Registry, West Australian Trauma Education (formerly WATTEU), and the P.A.R.T.Y. Program.
The Western Australian State Trauma Service has developed over many years as trauma care improved across the state’s major hospitals.
A key milestone was reached in August 1994 with the establishment of the WA State Trauma Registry at Royal Perth Hospital (RPH), which began systematically collecting trauma data to support quality improvement.
In the early 2000s, increasing population growth and more complex trauma cases highlighted the need for a coordinated statewide trauma system. In response, the Trauma Working Group (TWG) was formed in 2005 and, by 2007, had released 52 trauma initiatives that shaped statewide planning.
Royal Perth Hospital was formally designated as the WA State Adult Major Trauma Service, making it the state’s only Level 1 trauma centre. In February 2008, the State Major Trauma Unit (SMTU) opened at RPH, bringing major trauma care together in a purpose-built facility.
Since then, the focus has expanded to building system infrastructure, education, and injury prevention programs such as P.A.R.T.Y., as well as improving clinical integration and statewide coordination.
Today, the WA State Trauma Service operates as a connected system linking pre-hospital services, metropolitan and regional hospitals, and the State Trauma Registry to improve outcomes for seriously injured patients across Western Australia.
- RFDS - Royal Flying Doctor Service Western Australia | Royal Flying Doctor Service
- RAC Helicopter RAC Rescue helicopters | RAC WA
- SJA - St John WA - Supporting the wellbeing of our local communities
- HIVE Royal Perth Hospital - HIVE - Health in a Virtual Environment
- Injury Matters - Road Trauma Support WA Road Trauma Support WA | Injury Matters
- Observer program (flyer)
- Observer program SMTU Observer Registration