Save Our Community Health Centres

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

˖ Independent Review Report on cohealth’s woes. 4 Jun 2026

˖ Redacted version of Review’s report released: read and/or download a redacted
version of the report, released on 3 June 2026.

˖ Community outrage at delay of cohealth review report
and calls for the Board to step down. 19 May 2026

˖ Yay, our community health services are staying open, but… 8 May 2026

˖ Dismiss the Board!  7 May 2026

˖ Release the Report! 6 May 2026

˖ 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.

Media Coverage

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

˖ Has another Cohealth chair quit?
Medical Republic 16 Jul 2026

˖ Strengthening Governance At Cohealth
Victorian Government Media Release 15 Jul 2026

˖ Damning cohealth review calls for final warning as confidence in board collapses.
North West City News 17 Jun 2026

˖ 3CR Community Radio: search 3CR for all cohealth campaign stories broadcast. Jun 2026

˖ Medical Republic’s coverage of the cohealth closure threats and the campaign to save
our community health centres.
Includes stories from reporter Caitlin Wright, Cate Swannell and others. Jun 2026

˖ We are deeply sorry: Cohealth.
Medical Republic 29 Jun 2026

˖ Cohealth: Stephen Duckett and others’ report into Victoria’s cohealth debacle would make
for delicious thrilleresque reading, if it did not concern the lives of thousands of low income
and sick people. Guy Rundle  on Substack 5 Jun 2026

˖ ‘They’ve had their chance. They’ve got to go’: Duckett speaks out.
Medical Republic 4 Jun 2026

˖ ‘Litany of failures’: Cohealth boad threatened with sacking amid soaring deficits
The Age 4 Jun 2026 - paywall

˖ Board of inner-Melbourne health service faces sack after scathing review
Herald Sun 4 Jun 2026  - paywall

˖ Duckett review recommends sacking Cohealth board.
Medical Republic 3 Jun 2026

˖ cohealth welcomes the release of the Independent Review into its GP services
cohealth 3 Jun 2026

˖ Report released
Department of Health and Aged Care 3 Jun 2026
Review of cohealth general practice and related services – Final report with redactions
A redacted version of Review of cohealth general practice and related services, final report.
Download a copy.

˖ Exclusive: Damning report finds Cohealth failed on multiple fronts
Over 100 pages of damning conclusions, analysis, and commentary about the embattled
health services and the community health model in general.
Health Services Daily 2 June 2026 - paywall
Medical Republic version 02 Jun 2026

˖ 3CR Community Radio cohealth story list:
Tuesday Breakfast 16 Jun 2026  (audio)

Thursday Breakfast 4 Jun 2026  (audio)

Thursday Breakfast 21 May 2026 (audio)

Thursday Breakfast 30 Apr 2026 (audio)

Thursday Breakfast 6 Nov 2025 (audio)

3CR Green Left Radio 21 Nov 2025 (audio)

Thursday Breakfast 20 Nov 2025 (audio)

Monday Breakfast 27 Oct 2025 (audio)

˖ Who will rip the cohealth band-aid off?
Medical Republic 26 May 2026

˖ Cohealth gets biggest slice of funding pie.
Medical Republic 26 May 2026

˖ Cohealth Collingwood sobering-up centre to close mid-2027.
Medical Republic 26 May 2026

˖ Who is blocking the Cohealth report?
Medical Republic 15 May 2026

˖ Funding lifeline for cohealth clinics, but management concerns remain unresolved.  
North West City News 20 May 2026

˖ How can Cohealth be transparent about secret requirements?
Medical Republic 14 May 2026

˖ An open letter To the Cohealth board, from one of your patients.
Medical Republic 11 May 2026

˖ Securing the future of cohealth (Federal Health Minister media release) 8 May 2026
The Australian Government is providing up to $1.5 million to Victoria’s cohealth community
health organisation, ensuring services remain open at the Collingwood, Fitzroy and Kensington
sites while cohealth undertakes improvements to its operations. Read more.

˖ $1.5m extra for Cohealth, but where is the review?
Medical Republic 8 May 2026

˖ Read cohealth’s reaction to the Federal Health Minister’s May 8 announcement here.

˖ ‘They should all be ashamed of themselves’: Cohealth client.
Medical Republic 1 May 2026

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

˖ Community group questions cohealth decisions ahead of government review
North West City News 18 March 2026

˖ The elephant in the Cohealth room.
Medical Republic 11 March 2026

˖ 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

˖ Federal funding lifeline keeps Cohealth Kensington clinic open as long-term
future remains uncertain North West City News 17 December 2025

˖ Cohealth clients ready to speak.
Medical Republic 10 December 2025

˖ 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

˖ Cohealth: so many questions but no answers yet.
Medical Republic 4 December 2025

˖ Lives on the line as Cohealth closure looms large.
Medical Republic 21 November 2025

˖ 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 Nov 2025

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

˖ Feds throw Cohealth a $1.5m lifeline – and order a review.
Medical Republic 20 Nov 2025

˖ 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

˖ Who’s to blame for Cohealth’s demise?
Medical Republic 7 Nov 2025

˖ Parliament pushes Labor to rescue Cohealth from collapse.
Medical Republic 30 Oct 2025

˖ ‘Deeply disappointing’: feds respond to Cohealth crisis.
Medical Republic 29 Oct 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

˖ Melbourne non-profit GP clinic shuttering.
Medical Republic 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
North Yarra Community Health.