Joondalup Stroke Unit delivering support close to home

07 August 2026

Stroke Week is marked every year in the first week of August
Joondalup Stroke Unit is supporting hundreds of locals recover from stroke every year
Unit opened in 2019 after years of advocacy by Emily Hamilton MLA, Member for Joondalup

To mark Stroke Week, Emily Hamilton MLA, Member for Joondalup, visited the dedicated Stroke Unit at Joondalup Health Campus (JHC) to meet with volunteers who support patients and their families.

For stroke patients, every minute matters. Up to 1.9 million brain cells can be lost each minute without treatment.

As we mark National Stroke Week, it’s a time to learn the common signs of stroke and to act F.A.S.T. – Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, and Time to call emergency services immediately. Early recognition and treatment can save lives.

Joondalup MP Emily Hamilton has been a supporter of the local Northern Suburbs Stroke Support Group for many years and strongly advocated for the establishment of a dedicated unit at Joondalup Health Campus.

Ms Hamilton worked to ensure that the unit was opened ahead of the most recent hospital expansion.

The Stroke Unit was formally opened by the former Health Minister Hon. Roger Cook MLA in 2019 and since then, northern suburbs residents have had access to specialist stroke care on their doorstep – enabled by specialist staff and equipment located within a dedicated unit.

Today, Ms Hamilton was joined by acting JHC CEO Dr James Cafaro, to visit a wonderful volunteer team as they supported patients and families, providing valued support and social interaction.

One of these dedicated volunteers is Peter Coghlan, a stroke and locked-in syndrome survivor who is using his personal experience to inspire other stroke patients. Locked-in syndrome left him fully conscious but unable to move or speak, trapped inside his own body and able to communicate only using his eyes. It was a long journey and took hours every day to relearn basic skills after not being able to able to walk and talk.

The Cook Labor Government remains committed to investing in quality health services and infrastructure with a record $5.5 billion being delivered, significantly expanding capacity across Western Australia.

A $307.9 million expansion of Joondalup Health Campus, funded by the State and Australian Governments began in 2021 and was recently completed, making JHC one of the largest health campuses in Australia.

Comments attributed to Emily Hamilton MLA Member for Joondalup:

"Our northern suburbs community deeply value the Joondalup Health Campus and the quality health services it delivers close to home.

“Thank you to the amazing volunteers, like Pete, who dedicate their time to supporting others who are experiencing health challenges.

“I am proud to have advocated strongly for the Stroke Unit and know that it has helped so many patients over the years.

Comments attributed to stroke survivor, Peter Coghlan:

“I'm currently a volunteer at Joondalup Hospital in Ward C3 in the Stroke Unit, and I am proud that I can inspire patients by sharing my lived experience.”

“I was honoured to be a part of the opening of the stroke ward back in 2019 with Emily Hamilton MLA, Member for Joondalup, and now Premier Roger Cook.”

“I will we forever grateful to Perth’s health system and the care I received from the nurses, therapists, doctors and allied health professionals that inspired me.”