cohealth Board Monitor announced
The Victorian government has appointed Chris Altis as Board Monitor of cohealth. Mr Altis is a non-executive director at the Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network, Peter MacCullum Cancer Centre and William Angliss Institute. Find out more (Victorian Government media release 15 July 2026).

Help clear up the confusion
Our community health centres are staying open, but a lot of people feel confused. Can you help get the message out that they are staying open?

Can you get an appointment?
cohealth is still turning patients away. The Chair of cohealth told us they would fix this problem, but it doesn’t feel like cohealth wants to keep our community health services open. Have you tried to make an appointment? Tell us about your experience.

Did you see cohealth’s apology?
cohealth are sending letters to clients with an apology. They have posted it on their website.

Funding Update - 23 June 2026
The State Minister for Health’s office has told us that the funding for our community health services is ongoing, not just 12 months. We can expect a major announcement at the end of June. Read more.

We need your help this week
Contact Minister Harriet Shing to ask when she will implement the recommendations from the Independent Review. Please write to or call the Minister now:
Email: harriet.shing@minstaff.vic.gov.au
Phone: 5134 8000.

Redacted version of Report released
Read and/or download a redacted version of the report, released on 3 June 2026. Also, read the Federal Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s media release about the release of the cohealth final report with redactions.

An Urgent request
Please donate to our GoFundMe account, every dollar will help.
Save Our Community Health continues to campaign to stop the dismantling of community health services in Kensington, Fitzroy and Collingwood.

Department of Health and Aged Care cohealth Report released
A redacted version of Review of cohealth general practice and related services, final report, released on 17 March 2026.
View and download the report.

Great News
Federal and State governments have agreed to keep the Fitzroy, Collingwood and Kensington community health centres open in an ongoing way. However there's more to do, as discussed at community meetings in Fitzroy and Kensington in mid May 2026.

Priorities include:

˖ The release of the Independent Review - in full!

˖ the immediate and full restoration of services at clinics, including counselling and pharmacy

˖ work on a new building for the Collingwood clinic: no sale of the Collingwood Health Centre

˖ the development of a new model of care for the health centres

˖ the replacement of the cohealth Board and senior management, and

˖ community and worker representation on the cohealth Board.

We're looking forward to working with all levels of government, from Yarra and Melbourne City councils up, to achieve ongoing, sustainable funding for Collingwood, Fitzroy and Kensington Health centres.

Find out more.

Here’s how you can help with the campaign:

˖ Keep up to date with the campaign by signing up to our Campaign Newsletter

˖ Get involved in our campaign: come along to the next Campaign Working Group meeting. Details are published in the emailed Campaign Newsletter

˖ Join the public debate about across socials and traditional media, including
Instagram and LinkedIn.

˖ Write, text or call your Minister or MP: tell them how important Fitzroy, Collingwood and Kensington community health services are. Contact details are here and here.

˖ Contact us.

Our communities can’t live without them

In October 2025 cohealth announced it would close services in Collingwood, Fitzroy and Kensington before Christmas. cohealth is a community health provider with services in Collingwood, Fitzroy, Kensington, Footscray, Braybrook, Laverton, Niddrie, Melbourne CBD, and Tasmania.

We must save our community health services

After a huge public meeting, we started the Save Our Community Health campaign to keep all three clinics open with a full range of services.

Following this community outcry, the Federal Government gave some funding so the sites could stay open until 30 June 2026. They also announced an independent review about cohealth general practice and related services.

Our vital services saved

On 8th May 2026, the federal and state governments committed to keeping our community health services open for another 12 months with a further $1.5 million grant to cohealth.

But conditions apply:
˖ funding is conditional for 12 months while cohealth improves its operations, including governance, management and service delivery models
˖ cohealth to work with North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network to make changes.

Read the federal Minister for Health, Disability and Ageing’s media release .

Community say

On the 14th and 16th of May 2026 public meetings in Fitzroy and Kensington discussed the funding decision. The message was very clear: we want the community back in community health.

Save our Community Health will work with all levels of government, from Yarra and Melbourne City councils up, to achieve ongoing, sustainable funding for Collingwood, Fitzroy and Kensington Health centres.

Find out more.

Learn more about our campaign.