Media Releases, commentary and correspondence

˖ Healthcare closures cause critical concern - Where has the $1.5m gone?
Campaign Media Release. 11 Mar 2026

˖ Unique pharmacy service closed after more than 150 years of operation
Campaign Media Release. 1 Feb 2026

˖ The Pharmacy Service at Collingwood.
Phillip Robinson. Letter to cohealth. 17 Dec 2025

˖ Speech to Collingwood Health Centre rally.
Keith Fitzgerald. Transcript of speech. 13 Dec 2025

˖ cohealth Christmas Crisis: counselling and pharmacy services critical.
Save Our Community Health Media Release. 7 Dec 2025

˖ Lives at Risk; The Human Costs of the cohealth Crisis.
Dr. Brian Stagoll. Save Our Community Health Media Release. 5 Dec 2025

˖ Open Letter from Save Our Community Health.
Campaign spokespeople Geoff Barbour and Dr Brian Stagoll. 26 Nov 2025.

Also on this page: Media Coverage, Background stories, Publications and Research

Media Coverage

Check out some of the stories published about cohealth and and our campaign to save the Collingwood, Fitzroy and Kensington Health Services:

˖ ‘Totally gutted’: Cohealth patients brace for another GP services shock
Amanda Sheppeard Health Services Daily 16 Apr 2026 - paywall

˖ cohealth CEO Resigns
Caitlin Wright Health Services Daily. 10 Mar 2026 - paywall

˖ Cohealth report in final stages but will it make any difference?
Caitlin Wright Health Services Daily. 3 Mar 2026 - paywall

˖ The end of an era
John Jackson AJP (Australian Journal of Pharmacy) 26 Feb 2026 - paywall

˖  Last script filled at the Cohealth pharmacy.
Caitlin Wright. Health Services Daily 3 Feb 2026 - paywall

˖ cohealth welcomes new board chair: the new board chair will be navigating a fraught period of service reviews, temporary fixes and unanswered questions about the future of its GP, pharmacy and Collingwood services. Caitlin Wright. Health Services Daily. 14 Jan 2026 - paywall

˖ cohealth welcomes Kate MacRae as Board Chair.
cohealth news release. 7 Jan 2026

˖ Community health crisis: the cohealth Wars.
Ass. Prof. Stephen Alomes.
Health Services Daily. 10 Dec 2025 - paywall

˖ Stephen Duckett to chair cohealth inquiry.
newsGP. 8 Dec 2025

˖ Despite lifeline cuts continue at cohealth.
Medical Republic. 8 Dec 2025

‘You will need to find a new place to access counselling’: Cohealth
Caitlin Wright. Health Services Daily. 8 Dec 2025 -paywall

˖ Federal government funding extends cohealth GP services until July 2026.
ABC News. 20 Nov 2025

˖ Cohealth GP services secured for another eight months after funding lifeline.
9News. 20 Nov 2026

˖ Federal government steps in to extend funding for Melbourne
community health provider.
ABC News. 20 Nov 2026 video

˖ Press conference with Minister Butler, Melbourne.
Includes cohealth services announcement. 20 November 2025

˖ Cohealth GP services to remain open while review underway.  
Minister for Health and Ageing Mark Butler Media Release. 20 November 2015

˖ Don’t Close this Service - Vera Boston. Give Health Priority - Sue Gordon. Caring for the Vulnerable - Tim Woodruff.
Letters to The Age print and online editions. 14 and 20 Nov 2025

˖ Community urges governments to halt cuts at cohealth centres. City of Yarra media release. 24 Oct 2025

˖ Closure of Medical Clinics a Blight on both Federal and State Governments. Doctors Reform Society Media Release. 18 Oct 2025

˖ Community health service cuts in Victoria highlight national policy gaps and will hurt the most vulnerable. Croakey. 17 Oct 2025

˖ Health services cancelling appointments and rejecting funding due to old buildings.
ABC News. 20 Aug 2025

˖ Cohealth's closure of three Melbourne GP clinics to affect 12,500 patients.
ABC News. 16 Aug 2025

˖ cohealth Collingwood development plans: street corner to have huge revamp in bid to boost area's social housing.
Domain  21 Jul 2019

Background stories, Publications and Research

˖ The changing structure of care. Community Health backgrounder.
Arena No.24 Dec 2025

˖ Community Health Services in Victoria: an exploration of community engagement in decision making and the relationship between stand-alone and integrated models.
Research report. Jenny Macmillan. 2025

˖ Missionaries Radicals Feminists A History of North Yarra Community Health.
Hamish Townshend. Croakey Health Media. First published in 2012 by North Yarra Community Health.