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Audit flags cyber risks across NSW LHDs
A state audit has found that NSW Health is not effectively managing cybersecurity risks to clinical systems across Local Health Districts (LHDs) in the New South Wales public health system.
According to the NSW Auditor-General's report, audited LHDs have not met minimum NSW Government cybersecurity requirements since 2019, lack effective cybersecurity response, business continuity, and disaster recovery plans, and are not adequately prepared to respond to cyberattacks affecting clinically critical systems.
It also found that its digital arm, eHealth NSW, has not clearly defined or communicated cybersecurity roles nor ensured the consistent application of security tools across clinically important ICT assets, contributing to systemic non-compliance and increased risk of service disruption and patient data compromise.
It also noted that NSW Health's 2024 cybersecurity policy attestation, made in aggregate rather than by district, obscures known non-compliance and risks, masking weaknesses across the public health system.
WA government backs hospital AI pilot
The Western Australian government is investing A$700,000 (over $450,000) in an AI pilot with WA Health to improve hospital workflow coordination and bed availability before the winter season from June 2026.
Based on a media release, the pilot will deploy AI to schedule tasks such as medical imaging, pathology tests, pharmacy medication packs, and discharge summaries. A new system-wide data platform will also be developed, feeding into live dashboards for the State Health Operations Centre to track demand, capacity, and patient movement.
The AI pilot will launch at Royal Perth Hospital and may be scaled across multiple hospitals and integrated with other digital health initiatives across the WA public health system.
Victoria launches virtual hospital pilot
The Victorian Government has launched a six-month pilot of a Virtual Hospital delivering hospital-level care to patients at home across the state.
Jointly led by Austin Health and the Royal Melbourne Hospital, the pilot began on 1 December and will support more than 250 patients through virtual consultations, wearable vital sign monitoring, and remote care from multidisciplinary clinical teams, initially focused on heart failure and post-cardiac care.
The program also includes expanded use of the Royal Melbourne Hospital's Digital Coordination Centre for real-time ambulance coordination. There are plans to extend virtual services to areas such as foetal medicine and additional clinical pathways in the coming months.
