A rapid bedside respiratory testing system for flu, COVID-19, and other illnesses is expanding to multiple public hospitals in Western Australia to speed diagnoses and ease inpatient bed pressure ahead of the winter season.

The rollout is backed by $3.2 million in funding from the Winter Strategy to speed up diagnosis and improve emergency department care across sites.

Delivered through a PathWest partnership with health service providers, the platform can detect up to 15 viral and bacterial pathogens within minutes, supporting quicker clinical decisions, appropriate patient isolation, and timely admissions or discharges.

Implementation starts this week at Rockingham General Hospital and will roll out in phases to selected regional emergency departments.

Rockingham General Hospital will begin using the system this week after a successful Armadale Health Service pilot, with plans to extend to several regional EDs.

Health Minister Meredith Hammat said rapid ED results can reduce waiting times and improve patient care during winter pressures, highlighting the system’s potential impact.

The minister noted that rapid testing helps patients access care sooner, pointing to Armadale’s results as evidence to support broader adoption.

The state government’s $3.2 million investment aims to improve patient flow, enable earlier treatment, and shorten emergency department waiting times.

Known as the Spotfire respiratory testing platform, it enables bedside results in about 15 minutes, far faster than the previous off-site testing that could take hours.

Spotfire can diagnose 15 viral and bacterial illnesses, including influenza, RSV, and COVID-19, in approximately 15 minutes versus up to six hours for lab testing.

The expansion follows a successful Armadale Health Service trial, where rapid testing helped identify illnesses such as influenza, RSV, and COVID-19.

The rollout is part of WA’s preparation for the upcoming flu season, which has previously caused record ramping in state hospitals.