MORE than 1.2 million people from the Wonthaggi, Leongatha, Korumburra, Koo Wee Rup and Mornington Peninsula areas have been linked together through the creation of Bayside Health.
Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas has approved the voluntary merger of five health services – Alfred Health, Bass Coast Health, Gippsland Southern Health Service, Kooweerup Regional Health Service and Peninsula Health from January 1, 2026.
The five health services were able to clearly demonstrate how their voluntary merger would benefit each local community – delivering increased access to specialist services closer to home and improved patient outcomes.
Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas said the merger of these health services into Bayside Health would deliver better health outcomes by making it easier to access specialist care and by providing a more seamless experience for the south-east region.
“This is a great outcome for these communities as they’ll have one health service to better coordinate their patient journey – with improvements already being implemented on services ahead of the formal commencement date,” said Minister Thomas.
She said the health services were already working together to improve patient care and identify areas for service improvement and development.
This includes a new public melanoma clinic at Rosebud Hospital, where patients are now able to be seen and treated in the one appointment as part of a collaboration between Alfred Health and Peninsula Health.
The service is expected to scale up over time, and currently operates monthly.
Alfred Health and Peninsula Health are working together to provide public neurosurgery consultations at Wonthaggi Hospital, so people living in the Bass Coast region will soon have specialist care close to home – building on an existing arrangement that already delivers a neurosurgery clinic at Frankston Hospital.
A new process to share critical patient information and resources across the five health services will deliver faster care for patients – once a referral is accepted and a bed is booked patients will be transferred within 24 hours.
The new service will give existing staff of all health services expanded career and training opportunities – helping recruit and retain staff.
Recruitment for the incoming board has also commenced, with members to include representatives from the existing boards of the five services. The new board will be responsible for appointing a Chief Executive Officer.
The merged health service will offer a full range of connected services, supported by the latest clinical trials and research, giving patients and families a simpler, more streamlined experience across the system.
Under the merger, all existing hospitals and healthcare sites will continue to deliver programs and services for their communities and will keep their individual names.
The Allan Labor Government is investing more than $31 billion into Victoria’s health system this year, including a $9.3 billion boost to give every public hospital certainty to keep delivering the world-class care Victorians rely on.