When most UK and Irish doctors begin looking at medical jobs in Australia, the same three cities usually come up first: Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
We think the conversation should start somewhere else.
Western Australia.
WA offers something that is becoming increasingly difficult to find. There is genuine demand for doctors, strong earning potential, respected training, an enormous variety of medical work and a lifestyle that gives you the chance to enjoy Australia outside the hospital.
You could work in one of Perth’s major teaching hospitals, build your specialist career, experience medicine in a regional community, take on rural locum work or eventually explore aeromedical medicine with the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
You can finish work and head to the beach. You can give your children space to grow up. You can build a serious medical career without feeling as though work has to consume every part of your life.
For UK and Irish doctors considering Australia, WA should not be the option you look at after everywhere else.
It should be option one.
Western Australia is growing, and its health system needs doctors at every level.
There are opportunities for Resident Medical Officers, registrars, fellows, General Practitioners, rural generalists, District Medical Officers, consultants and specialists.
Some doctors want the structure and teaching available in a major Perth hospital.
Others want more independence, broader clinical experience or the adventure of working in rural and remote Australia.
WA gives you the ability to choose.
You might spend part of your career in a large tertiary hospital before moving into a regional role. You might arrive for a twelve month contract and decide to stay. You might use locum work to experience several communities before choosing where you want to settle permanently.
The state offers medical careers across Perth, regional centres, rural towns and remote communities. There are also opportunities across emergency medicine, general medicine, psychiatry, anaesthesia, intensive care, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, oncology, rehabilitation, radiology, pathology, palliative care, general practice and rural medicine.
WA is not short of variety.
Perth is home to some of Australia’s leading hospitals, including Royal Perth Hospital, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth Children’s Hospital and King Edward Memorial Hospital.
There are also major opportunities through Joondalup Health Campus, St John of God Midland, Rockingham General Hospital, Armadale Health Service and Peel Health Campus.
These hospitals offer the chance to work in busy departments, learn from experienced specialists and gain exposure to complex medicine within a large metropolitan health system.
But WA is much more than Perth.
Regional centres such as Albany, Bunbury, Busselton, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Esperance, Broome, Karratha, Port Hedland, Kununurra and Derby all rely on doctors who are prepared to bring their skills beyond the capital city.
Regional medicine can give doctors more responsibility, closer relationships with colleagues and patients, and exposure to a wider range of presentations.
You may be the person making the decisions rather than one member of a very large department. You may work closely with emergency teams, retrieval services, General Practitioners and visiting specialists. You may become an important part of the community much sooner than you expected.
For many doctors, that experience becomes one of the most rewarding parts of their Australian career.
Medical salaries in Western Australia are competitive, particularly when the complete package is taken into account.
Indicative public sector base salaries include:
These figures are a guide. Your actual salary will depend on your level, experience, speciality, location, contract and additional duties.
Your overall income may also include overtime, evening and weekend penalties, public holiday payments, on call and recall payments, professional development allowances, employer superannuation, salary packaging and relocation support.
Regional roles may include additional allowances, accommodation assistance, travel benefits or extra leave.
This is why it is important not to compare a UK or Irish salary with an Australian base salary alone.
The better question is:
What will your complete package look like, and what sort of life will that income allow you to build?
A registrar undertaking paid overtime and on call work may earn considerably more than the base salary suggests. A consultant or rural generalist may also receive benefits that make a regional position particularly attractive.
The right role can provide both strong earnings and a better quality of life.
Yes, but choosing the right position matters.
WA offers training opportunities for junior doctors, registrars, fellows, rural generalists and doctors progressing through specialist pathways.
Doctors can gain experience through metropolitan teaching hospitals, regional rotations, community residency programmes, rural generalist training, rural physician training, rural psychiatry training, intensive care pathways, General Practice hospital training and specialist fellowships.
WA Country Health Service also provides hospital and community placements that may contribute towards vocational training.
Not every registrar or fellow position is College accredited, and not every job will count towards the pathway you want to follow.
Before accepting a role, you need to understand whether it offers:
This can be difficult to judge from a job advertisement alone.
A role may sound impressive but not contribute towards your intended training pathway. Another position may initially appear less obvious but provide better supervision, broader experience and a clearer route forward.
That is where good advice becomes important.
Many eligible UK and Irish doctors can apply through Australia’s Competent Authority pathway.
Eligibility depends on where you obtained your medical qualification, completed your internship and gained your postgraduate experience.
Doctors who meet the requirements will generally complete a period of approved supervised practice before becoming eligible for general registration.
This usually involves twelve months, or at least 47 weeks of full time equivalent supervised practice.
Specialist doctors normally need to consider the specialist pathway and assessment through the relevant Australian medical college.
This may involve a comparability assessment, supervised specialist practice, workplace based assessment, additional training or an Area of Need position.
The important point is that your registration pathway and employment need to fit together.
You need a role that is suitable for your experience, your registration conditions and your longer term plans.
Blugibbon can help you understand the likely route and coordinate your recruitment process alongside the relevant registration and immigration professionals.
For doctors planning a long term future in Australia, the opportunities available to their children can be just as important as their own careers.
WA has several established medical schools.
Curtin University offers the state’s direct entry Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery. The course has a strong focus on primary care, rural health and addressing workforce needs across regional WA.
The University of Western Australia offers a postgraduate Doctor of Medicine programme.
The University of Notre Dame Australia also offers a postgraduate Doctor of Medicine from its Fremantle campus, as well as rural medical training through its Kimberley programme.
Medical school places are highly competitive.
Your child’s eligibility, fee status and application pathway may depend on whether your family holds temporary residency, permanent residency or Australian citizenship at the time of application.
Families considering a permanent move should think about this early, particularly if they have older children who may want to study medicine or another university course in Australia.
WA can be particularly attractive for doctors relocating with school aged children.
Dependant children of subclass 482 visa holders can generally attend WA public schools on similar enrolment terms to local children.
The public school tuition charge is currently $4,000 per family each year, regardless of how many school aged children are included.
That is a family charge, rather than a separate $4,000 fee for each child.
Families should still budget for uniforms, technology, excursions, camps, books, voluntary contributions and extracurricular activities.
Even with those additional costs, the family based fee can make WA an attractive option when compared with states where temporary visa school fees may be charged for each individual child.
The right suburb and school will depend on where you work, how far you want to commute and what sort of community will suit your family.
Childcare can be one of the more expensive parts of relocating with young children.
Most families holding a standard subclass 482 visa will not automatically qualify for the Australian Child Care Subsidy under the normal residency rules.
There are some exceptions, so every family should confirm its own position directly with Services Australia.
The average childcare fee was approximately $13.75 per hour during the March 2026 quarter.
At that rate, a ten hour day would cost around $137.50 before any subsidy.
Individual centres may charge more or less depending on the area, the age of the child and the type of care provided.
Before choosing a hospital and suburb, families with preschool children should speak to local childcare centres and understand availability as well as cost.
Once children reach school age, the overall family budget can become considerably easier to manage.
Perth is no longer the inexpensive property market it was several years ago.
As of June 2026, the median Perth house price was approximately $938,000. The median unit price was around $675,000.
Median weekly rent was approximately $750 for a house and $700 for a unit.
A three bedroom house was typically around $720 per week, while a four bedroom property was approximately $780 per week.
Those figures vary enormously depending on the suburb.
Coastal areas and desirable inner city locations can cost considerably more. Outer metropolitan areas, Mandurah, Rockingham and some regional centres may offer more space and better value.
Doctors often consider areas such as Joondalup, Scarborough, Subiaco, Mount Lawley, South Perth, Fremantle, Canning Vale, Cockburn, Rockingham and Mandurah.
Regional doctors may look at Bunbury, Albany, Geraldton or communities closer to their employing hospital.
The best suburb is not simply the one that looks nicest online.
You need to think about your commute, school zones, childcare, access to the beach, your partner’s employment and the sort of lifestyle you want.
Someone working at Fiona Stanley Hospital will have different practical options from a doctor based at Joondalup or Royal Perth Hospital.
Blugibbon’s local knowledge and network of doctors already living in WA can help you make a realistic decision before signing a lease.
For appropriately experienced doctors, WA can provide a pathway into aeromedical, retrieval and remote medicine.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service Western Operations provides emergency retrievals, primary healthcare and other essential services across rural and remote Western Australia.
Doctors working in this area may gain experience in emergency medicine, critical care, pre hospital medicine, remote decision making, inter hospital transfers and Aboriginal community health.
They may work alongside flight nurses, pilots, paramedics, regional hospitals and community healthcare teams.
It is a very different form of medicine from working in a large metropolitan hospital.
You need to be comfortable making decisions, managing uncertainty and working with limited resources. For the right doctor, it can be one of the most meaningful and exciting career opportunities available in Australia.
Doctors can also explore rural and remote work through WA Country Health Service, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, regional emergency departments, rural General Practice, mining health and remote community services.
You do not have to commit to remote medicine forever.
Some doctors begin with a short locum placement, discover that they love the work and continue returning for years.
Australia will always be a long way from the UK and Ireland, but Perth makes the journey easier than many doctors expect.
Qantas operates direct flights between Perth and London Heathrow.
That means you can board a flight in Perth and arrive in London without first travelling through Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane.
For UK doctors, this can make family visits, weddings, Christmas trips and unexpected journeys home much simpler.
Irish doctors can connect onwards from London or use other international routes.
Perth is also particularly well placed for families with connections to South Africa.
South African Airways operates the Perth to Johannesburg route, and the journey is considerably shorter than travelling to South Africa from Australia’s eastern capitals.
For doctors with family spread across the UK, Ireland, South Africa and Australia, Perth’s location can be a genuine advantage.
It can feel much more connected than people assume when they first look at the map.
The cost of housing, food, insurance and childcare has increased across Australia, and WA is no exception.
However, the real question is not whether WA is cheap.
The question is whether your medical income will give you the lifestyle and disposable income you want.
For many doctors, the strongest financial position comes from a combination of a competitive salary, paid overtime, on call work, employer superannuation and sensible housing choices.
Consultants, rural generalists, dual income households and doctors receiving relocation or accommodation support may find WA particularly attractive.
Families with school aged children may also have a more manageable budget than families paying full childcare fees.
You may decide to live in a premium coastal suburb and accept a higher housing cost. You may choose an outer metropolitan area where you can rent or buy a larger family home. You may move regionally and receive accommodation assistance as part of your employment package.
There is no single answer that suits every doctor.
The right contract and the right location need to be considered together.
Western Australians are generally straightforward, practical and welcoming.
People work hard, but there is also a strong culture of enjoying life outside work.
WA has a large international medical workforce, so UK and Irish doctors will usually find themselves working alongside colleagues from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
You will not be the first doctor to make the move. That matters.
Having another doctor to ask about the hospital, local terminology, schools, neighbourhoods, buying a car or where to take the children at the weekend can make an enormous difference.
Moving internationally can be exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming.
The move becomes much easier when you already know someone on the ground.
The lifestyle is one of WA’s biggest attractions, and it is not simply marketing.
Western Australia has around 20,000 kilometres of coastline, while Perth receives more than 3,000 hours of sunshine each year.
Life outside the hospital might include an early morning swim, a walk along the coast, cycling, golf, boating, fishing, camping or children’s sport.
Weekends can be spent at Rottnest Island, Margaret River, Fremantle, the Swan Valley or exploring the forests and beaches of the South West.
Longer trips can take you to Albany, Denmark, Esperance, Kalbarri, Ningaloo Reef, Broome and the Kimberley.
You can build an excellent medical career and still have a life that feels open, active and adventurous.
For doctors moving from the UK or Ireland, the difference is often not one dramatic event.
It is the everyday experience of finishing work while the sun is still shining, spending more time outdoors and realising that the beach has become part of normal family life.
Finding a vacancy is only the beginning.
A successful international move requires much more than a job advertisement and an employment contract.
You need to understand whether the role suits your experience, supports your registration, contributes towards training and works for your family.
You also need realistic information about the hospital, department, roster, location, housing and community.
That is where Blugibbon comes in.
Blugibbon is an appointed WA locum panel supplier, with more than 13 years of relationships across the state.
During that time, we have developed detailed knowledge of WA hospitals, health services, regional communities and medical rosters.
We have also secured exclusive relationships with selected sites and rosters across Western Australia.
This means we can often give doctors a much clearer picture of the opportunity than they would receive from reading an advertisement alone.
We can explain what the department needs, how the roster works, what the location is really like and whether the role is likely to support your longer term career.
In 2026, Blugibbon was also appointed to the Western Australian Department of Health panel for the recruitment of Internationally Qualified Health Professionals.
Through this panel, qualified suppliers source, screen and facilitate the placement of internationally qualified health professionals into salaried roles across the WA health system.
This includes doctors currently based overseas and doctors who have arrived in Australia within the previous twelve months.
For doctors considering WA, this means Blugibbon can support both locum and permanent opportunities.
We can help you explore the state, understand the available pathways and identify the role that best matches your experience, family and future plans.
Blugibbon has worked closely with Western Australia for more than a decade.
We understand that a role in Perth is very different from a role in Broome, Bunbury, Albany, Geraldton or Kalgoorlie.
We understand the difference between tertiary medicine, district hospital work, rural General Practice, roster based locum work and permanent regional employment.
We also understand that the right role for a single doctor may not be the right role for a family with three children.
Our job is not to push you into the first vacancy available.
Our job is to help you make a decision that works professionally and personally.
Blugibbon already has doctors living and working across Western Australia.
Where appropriate, we can introduce you to someone who has already made the move.
They can tell you what the hospital is really like, where they chose to live, how their family settled and what they wish they had known before arriving.
They can also help with the everyday questions that do not appear in a contract.
Where should you buy a car?
Which suburbs are practical?
What is the local social scene like?
Where do doctors meet outside work?
What should you arrange before stepping off the plane?
Having a professional and social network waiting for you can make WA feel like home much sooner.
Blugibbon’s role does not end when you sign your contract.
We can support you throughout the recruitment and relocation process by helping you:
We want you to choose the right position, settle successfully and enjoy the move.
It offers the chance to build a rewarding career, give your family a different lifestyle and become part of a medical community that genuinely needs your experience.
Do not think of WA as the alternative to Australia’s eastern states.
Think of it as your first choice.
I’ve worked with Blugibbon for nearly 2 years now and have always had such seamless experiences. They think of and take care of everything. No dramas. They are a great bunch of people who don’t hound you with queries and emails. They get the job done and get you the job you want. Nothing but praise from me!!
"Priya Patel"
Choosing a locum location from the other side of the world is not easy.
A job description can tell you the dates, rate and roster, but it cannot always tell you what the hospital team is like, how smoothly the travel is organised, what the clinical work really involves or how you will spend your days off.
That is why Blugibbon created its WA Locum Location Doctor Reviews.
These reviews allow doctors who have completed placements across Western Australia to share their honest experiences of the hospital, medical team, accommodation, travel, workload and local lifestyle.
You can hear directly from doctors who have worked in:
The experiences are as varied as Western Australia itself.
One doctor describes a supportive hospital team in Kununurra, straightforward travel arrangements and the Kimberley waiting to be explored on days off.
A FACEM who worked at Albany Health Campus describes the placement as a rural revelation and a location other emergency physicians should experience.
Doctors working across Broome and Fitzroy Crossing share what it is really like to combine remote medicine with life on the road through the Kimberley.
In Esperance, Dr Heidi found a smooth arrival, beautiful beaches and an Emergency Department placement she would happily recommend.
Another doctor worked approximately 600 kilometres north of Broome aboard the DLV2000, a giant floating construction vessel in the Timor Sea. As the only doctor on board for 28 days, the role included clinical care, emergency preparedness and even inspecting the ship’s galley with the captain.
These are not generic tourism guides or descriptions written by someone who has never worked at the location.
They are genuine doctor to doctor accounts from people who have completed the journey themselves.
The reviews can help you understand:
Before choosing your next Western Australian locum placement, take a look at the experiences of doctors who have already been there.
Explore Blugibbon’s WA Locum Location Doctor Reviews
You may discover a placement, community or corner of Western Australia that you had never considered before.
Blugibbon works with UK and Irish doctors looking for permanent roles, fixed term contracts, locum positions, registrar opportunities, specialist appointments and rural medical careers across Western Australia.
We can help you understand the job, salary, registration pathway, visa process, hospital, location and lifestyle before you commit.
Come to WA for the medical opportunity.
Stay for the people, the career and the life you build here.
Once you go west, you may never want to go back.
Salary, housing, education, childcare, aviation and registration information is indicative and current as of July 2026. Government rules, fees, airline routes and individual eligibility can change. Doctors should obtain professional registration, immigration, financial and legal advice relevant to their own circumstances.
Yes. WA recruits Resident Medical Officers, registrars, fellows, General Practitioners, rural generalists and specialists across Perth, regional, rural and remote locations.
Demand varies by speciality and location, but opportunities are available throughout the health system.
Many eligible UK doctors can apply through the Competent Authority pathway.
Specialists will usually need to complete assessment through the relevant Australian medical college and specialist registration pathway.
Many eligible Irish trained doctors can also use the Competent Authority pathway, depending on their qualification, internship and postgraduate experience.
Indicative public sector base salaries range from approximately $99,000 for Resident Medical Officers to more than $430,000 for consultants.
Overtime, penalties, on call work, allowances, professional development payments and regional benefits may increase the total package.
Yes. Locum opportunities are available across metropolitan, regional and remote WA.
Common areas include emergency medicine, general medicine, psychiatry, anaesthesia, obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery, General Practice and rural medicine.
WA can be very attractive for families.
The public school tuition charge for dependant children of 482 visa holders is currently $4,000 per family each year, rather than per child.
Families with preschool children should budget carefully for childcare, as standard 482 visa holders may not qualify for the Child Care Subsidy.
Yes. WA offers metropolitan and regional training pathways across a range of specialities.
Doctors should always confirm whether an individual position is College accredited and whether it contributes towards their intended training programme.
Blugibbon is an appointed WA locum panel supplier and was appointed in 2026 to the WA Department of Health panel supporting the recruitment of Internationally Qualified Health Professionals.
We have more than 13 years of experience in Western Australia, exclusive relationships with selected sites and rosters, detailed local knowledge and a network of doctors already living and working across the state.
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