Kidsafe WA produces a range of bulletins and reports covering prevalent child injury topics based on injury surveillance data collected at the Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) Emergency Department. PCH is the only dedicated paediatric hospital in Western Australia and is the referral centre for paediatric illness and injury within the state. Approximately 20,000 children present to the PCH Emergency Department each year with an injury. Bulletins and reports analyse injury trends, causes, location of injuries, at-risk demographics, treatment and prevention methods.

The latest Annual Report highlights injury trends from July 2023 to June 2024:

• Injury presentations account for approximately 30% of all presentations to PCH ED each year.
• 34.7% of children presenting with an injury are under five years old – children at this age are still developing their physical and cognitive skills, which means they may not have the necessary skills to explore their environment safely.
• 32.1% of children presenting with an injury are between 10 and 14 years old — at this age, children become more independent, and the injury risks change as they participate in different activities.
• Males accounted for 56.8% of injury presentations.
• Of the known causes, falls continue to be the leading cause of injury to children at PCH ED.

The 2023/24 Annual Report, along with other recently released bulletins, can be viewed on our WA Childhood Injuries and Reports Page.

If you are working within the health, childcare or another relevant sector, these reports can provide up-to-date evidence to support your injury prevention initiatives within the community. If you want to stay updated as the latest bulletins and reports become available, join our Injury Surveillance Mailing List.

Bulletins and reports are developed by Kidsafe WA in consultation with the PCH Injury Surveillance Officer and are supported by the Department of Health WA.