‘It’s unconscionable to leave these patients behind’: GPs urgently call on the Victorian Government to save vital health services

GPs are stepping up calls to save cohealth clinics, several of which are set to close their doors for good, leaving some of Melbourne’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged patients out in the cold. 

This afternoon, Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) Chair, Dr Anita Muñoz, will be attending an emergency meeting at Fitzroy Town Hall at 4pm AEDT. 

It comes following the RACGP speaking out strongly earlier this week about the imminent closure of the clinics. The Collingwood service will close its doors entirely, while the Fitzroy and Kensington services will close their general practice services and maintain some of their allied health offerings. The Footscray service intends to maintain some of its GPs.   

College Victoria Chair Dr Anita Muñoz promised to ramp up the pressure on government and urged citizens to attend the emergency meeting and reach out to their local MPs. 

“I’ll be at this emergency meeting in Fitzroy; we won’t give up on this cause. Mark my words – we’ll fight these closures every step of the way,” she said. 

“It’s unconscionable to leave these patients behind. We need cohealth patients to have timely access to a GP they know and trust. Otherwise, they’re more likely to end up in hospital with a serious condition, or come in to contact with law enforcement, particularly for those seeking care for conditions such as schizophrenia.

"At a time of high cost of living pressures, I fear many patients will delay or avoid care.” 

The RACGP Victoria Chair said the closures weren’t an isolated issue. 

“More must be done to secure the financial viability of general practice care in Victoria and nationwide,” she said.  

“We appreciate that the Federal Government is making significant investments in Medicare, and at the end of the day, we share the Government’s commitment to ensuring all Australians can access affordable general practice care. However, the Federal Government needs to explain why they can find millions of dollars for additional bulk-billing practices in the ACT but won’t step up to support 12,500 vulnerable patients in Victoria. 

“Healthcare providers like cohealth need an extra helping hand. We’re calling on the Federal Government to provide financial support to ensure these clinics remain open so that they can continue to deliver complex, multidisciplinary care to so many patients, some of whom have experiences of trauma, mental health concerns and alcohol and substance use issues.” 

“At the state level, in terms of general practice care more broadly, payroll tax changes came into effect earlier this year, which leaves some clinics with little option but to hike patient fees or shut up shop. We’re continuing to advocate strongly for Victoria to follow Queensland’s lead to abolish this tax on GPs and help keep general practice costs down for Victorians.” 

RACGP Victorian addiction medicine spokesperson Dr Eric Hadinata backed Dr Muñoz’s calls. 

“We can’t allow these closures to happen, too many patients rely on these services,” he said. 

“The timing couldn’t be worse given that Reconnexion, which helps people experiencing benzodiazepine dependence, is losing its funding and the Frankston medical clinic, responsible for 10% of the state’s opioid pharmacotherapy treatments including methadone, shut up shop last year.  

“We’re leaving patients from disadvantaged backgrounds, many of whom are living in crisis and at high-risk of serious health deterioration and relapse, with few options to turn to. Our state is turning a blind eye and leaving people with the most complex care needs to fend for themselves. This is not the kind of society we want to be. We want our Government to protect and help the most vulnerable people in our community." 

Rachel Croucher, Vice President of the Australasian Association of Genealogists and Record Agents, who is a law student that is quadriplegic and frequents the Kensington cohealth service, said that the closure of the clinics would have a profound impact on many patients. 

“I’ve got surgery scheduled for November that requires not just complex follow-up care, but patient transport needs to be booked, pathology samples need to be collected and processed beforehand and given the high risk of dysreflexia for individuals with spinal cord injury, post-surgery monitoring will require at least fortnightly appointments,” she said.  

“I don’t know how I’m going to afford that at even a mixed billing clinic, let alone a private one. I don’t even know where to find another clinic that allows me to do all that affordably at the one location. It’s penny-wise, pound-foolish policy making at its finest.  

“The social determinants in Kensington, Fitzroy, and Collingwood are completely different to that of other parts of Melbourne. If you strip supports from 12,500 of some of Melbourne’s most vulnerable people with needs this complex, the consequences will come at a greater cost to public health than the Government thinks it is saving.” 

~ENDS 

RACGP spokespeople are available for interviews: 03 8699 0992 / [email protected].