The Commonwealth and Victorian governments have commissioned an independent review of cohealth’s general practice and related services, after cohealth advised it would commence steps to close its general practice clinics in Fitzroy, Collingwood and Kensington in December 2025. Following government engagement, those planned closures have been delayed, with interim Commonwealth funding of up to $1.5 million to maintain access to services until at least 31 July 2026 while longer-term options are considered.

AMA Victoria had raised concerns with government about the proposed closures, the impact on vulnerable patients, continuity of care and workforce sustainability, and the broader implications for the community health system. We have continued to engage on both the immediate risks and the longer-term viability of community health general practice.

The review will examine cohealth’s general practice service model, governance, workforce and financial viability, in the context of the organisation’s broader funding arrangements, and identify options to support sustained access to care for communities with complex needs.

AMA Victoria will be making a submission and is seeking member input, particularly from doctors working in community health or caring for patients affected by the proposed service changes. We also consider the issues raised by the cohealth review to reflect broader pressures facing community health general practice, which will be addressed in our submission.

We understand that submissions to the review close on 27 January 2026. At the time of writing, this deadline is not clearly published on the Commonwealth website.

Member feedback for AMA Victoria’s submission can be sent to Policy Adviser, Lewis Horton, at [email protected].