Closure of GP clinics will leave thousands of vulnerable Victorians without ‘lifesaving healthcare’ | Health

Thousands of Victorians with complex health needs who are also facing homelessness, trauma and family violence will have to find a new GP following the sudden announcement that services at three partner health clinics will close.

Joint Health It provides a range of integrated health and social support services across Melbourne, often free of charge.

GP services at the Collingwood, Fitzroy and Kensington sites will end in December, and all other services such as allied health and nurse appointments will also close at the Collingwood site in mid-2026, an allied health spokesman said on Thursday.

More than 12,000 patients will be affected.

“This was an extraordinarily difficult but inevitable decision,” said Cohealth CEO Nicole Bartholomeusz.

“These GP services served multiple generations of people and we know their impact will be deeply felt.”

He said the decision was made due to “multiple, complex pressures, including decades of underinvestment, aging infrastructure and a funding model that does not match the reality of need or the type of care required.”

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Victorian health minister Mary-Anne Thomas has been contacted for comment.

Dr Anita Muñoz, president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Victoria, called on the state government to “step up and save these clinics”.

“This is life-saving health care,” he said.

A spokesperson for the federal health department called the move “deeply disappointing.”

“We requested that the board reconsider its position,” the spokesperson said.

“The Department of Health and North West Melbourne Primary Health Network met with allied health to identify possible solutions to improve financial sustainability, including maximizing Medicare Benefits Scheme billing.”

Starting in November, Medicare Benefits Program changes will ensure additional funding goes to clinics that bulk bill each patient. But Dr Cath Keaney, a GP at the Collingwood allied health clinic, said these federal Medicare reforms came too late to save clinics from bankruptcy.

There were also structural issues affecting buildings that were in dire need of repairs, “there were leaks in the roof and problems with buckets holding water during storms,” ​​he said.

“The financial loss is further compounded by the fact that we are a multidisciplinary clinic and some of the management, IT and staff costs are shared by the allied health services we provide,” he said. “Allied health funding has also been severely restricted as the government is in austerity mode. So there’s a perfect storm of factors affecting us.”

Keaney said the end of services in December was particularly “harsh.” “A lot of time is needed, especially for people with mental health issues.”

greens Richmond MP Gabrielle de Vietri, who has long advocated for shared health funding, said: “The writing has been on the wall for shared health for years.

“It is indefensible for Labor to allow public health services to collapse rather than invest in them. [a] “We know people are struggling more than ever to afford basic healthcare.”