Healthcare was a major talking point in the Valley in 2025, dominating both the news and conversations in the community.
In February, Health directory Cleanbill released the third annual Blue Report in 2025, scoping out the availability of bulk billing for an adult without concessions in each electorate across the country.
Aston’s previously strong availability of bulk-billing tanked to a concerning 11.1 per cent of 36 available clinics in 2024-25, down from 32.4 per cent and 36 per cent in the two years previous.
Casey was one of the biggest improvers in the country, rising from a low base of 11.8 per cent of the 34 available clinics in 2022-23 to 15 per cent of 40 available clinics in 2024-25, though still a reduction from 18.4 per cent of 38 available clinics in 2023-24.
Deakin’s availability was slightly down to 13.9 per cent of the 36 available clinics currently from 14.3 per cent of only 28 clinics in 2022-23. It dipped in between those years to 12.5 per cent of 32 available clinics in 2024-25 before rebounding.
VCAT found that an Eastern Health patient (RVL) had their right to consent to the compulsory electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) they were subjected to not afforded to them.
In the decision, VCAT Senior Member Nihill set about clarifying the application was not about if RVL had a mental illness and needed treatment, not about if ECT could benefit RVL and not about if the doctors, nurses and others on RVL’s treating team were ‘drawing on their considerable expertise and experience, and working with careful attention and compassion’ to treat RVL. If it was, based on the evidence Nihill said to all of the above their ‘answer would likely have been yes.’
“I could only make an order authorising the ECT if I was satisfied to the expected standard, taking into account the impact on RVL’s human rights of imposition of the proposed treatment without consent, and applying the law set out in detail in the MHWA and the case of PBU & NJE, that RVL did not have capacity to give informed consent to ECT and that there was no less restrictive way for her to be treated,” the decision reads.
“I was not satisfied about at least one of these two criteria, and so could not make an order authorising the ECT.”
Medicare received bipartisan backing ahead of the 2025 election with both major parties with Labor pledging $8.5 billion in Medicare funding over four years and the Coalition vowing to match it ‘dollar for dollar’ before their defeat.
Following Labor’s win, voters can hold them to their promises of extending their bulk-billing incentive to all Australians, providing 400 nursing scholarships, funding the training of 2000 new GPs a year by 2028 and installing a new Bulk Billing Incentive program to provide 12.5 loading payment on Medicare rebates for fully bulk-billing practices.
The Labor party went on to flag Lilydale as a potential location for an urgent care clinic in a more than $600 million funding pledge upon their re-election.
The expansion of the existing 87 clinics by a further 50, including 12 in Victoria, was aimed to be delivered by the end of June 2026.
Labor released a list of target areas which included Lilydale but the final sites would be decided independently, which sparked debate in the community whether Lilydale was the best location.
The Star Mail’s federal election survey highlighted this, with readers of the Mountain Views and Upper Yarra Star Mail papers identifying the need of urgent or emergency care services as their top priority ahead of the election.
About 54 per cent of the survey respondents chose they would like to see federal funding for local hospitals increase and the majority of the respondents indicated Healesville Hospital and Yarra Valley Health (Healesville Hospital) would be a good spot to have an Urgent Care Clinic (UCC).
Services for Healesville Hospital Action Group (SHHAG) chairperson Jane Judd said the Healesville Hospital would be the best place for an urgent care clinic.
“It’s a perfect site because they have a GP clinic on site, so there are actually medical professionals up there, seven days a week. They have pathology services, X-ray services, an operating theatre, highly skilled nurses, 19 beds and palliative care beds designated for caring for people at the end of life,” she said.
“I’m sure the people in Lilydale would have been happy to hear that, but it ignored the fact that the vast proportion of people in the rural areas of the Yarra Ranges Council have much less access to health services than the people in Lilydale.
“Lilydale has Yarra Ranges Health, and Inspire Community Health, is close to the emergency department at Maroondah, and is closer to the other urgent care centres down the line towards Boronia and Kilsyth, so they have options that we don’t have.”
Just a week later, Yarra Ranges councillors passed a motion to advocate for the urgent care clinic to be located in Healesville.
Resident Sue Avery was against the proposal due to the population a Lilydale UCC could serve.
“Healesville has a population of around 7000 and spans over 142 square kilometres, including Yarra Glen, the population is 10,377,” she said.
“For Lilydale to match that size, it would need to include suburbs like Chirnside Park, Mooroolbark, Kilsyth, Mount Evelyn, Montrose and Coldstream, together that homes to over 85,000 people, all within 15 minutes of Lilydale.”
Ms Judd also returned to spea in favour of the motion.
Councillors debated the merit of the proposal, considering the length of time it takes for residents to travel to healthcare services now, how many urgent care options the urban area has compared to more peri-regional areas, the need for more GPs and hopes for an urgent care clinic in both Lilydale and Healesville in the future.
After a lengthy debate, seven councillors voted in favour and two were against.
Casey’s Liberal MP Aaron Violi promised the UCC in Healesville if his party was elected, which didn’t come to fruition, but other candidates also shared their views.
“It is disappointing that Labor doesn’t understand the needs of our community – particularly the challenges faced by those living in more rural areas and the need for better access to healthcare in Healesville,” Mr Violi said.
Greens candidate Dr Merran Blair, Family First candidate Dan Nebauer were also in favour of the clinic being in Healesville, independent Claire Ferres-Miles favoured prioritising the return of emergency care and Animal Justice Party candidate Chloe Bond wanted to see two clinics delivered long-term, including one in Healesville.
Despite the intentions of her party, Labor candidate Naomi Oakley said she would have advocated for the clinic to be in Healesville if she had have been successful.
“Healesville has an appropriate location with connected services and has a huge need, Healesville will be the location chosen,” she said.
Eastern Health’s Maroondah Hospital under scrutiny from The Age in June, with leaked information stating specialist paediatric and surgery services would be moving out of the premises.
Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas was quick to shut this down on ABC Radio on Wednesday 11 June, and said that her department hadn’t been told of Maroondah Hospital’s plans to move paediatrics admissions to the Box Hill Hospital.
“I have not received a formal proposal from Eastern Health regarding any of these changes, but I can be very clear with you and your listeners that I will not support any plans that would remove paediatricians from one of Melbourne’s biggest public hospitals in their servicing our eastern suburbs,” Ms Thomas told presenter Raf Epstein.
Eastern Health provided no further comment.
Hopes still remained in August that Healesville would be reconsidered for the UCC when it went out to tender, despite Mr Violi receiving confirmation that it would be in Lilydale.
Ms Judd said SHHAG sought clarification from the Minister of Health’s Office via local senator Lisa Darmanin.
“We queried the meaning of the advance tender notice and specifically who could tender. The final tender will define a service delivery catchment area. Any eligible provider from within the catchment can submit a tender. Healesville is within the service area,” she said.
“So I was absolutely delighted to hear that, which means if Eastern Health is interested in responding to the community demands, then they will put some energy into putting in a tender using the community health service at the hospital and the accredited Healesville GP practice to do so.”
Eastern Health essential support workers went on strike in September in response to the proposed privatisation of their employment.
Patient services assistant (PSA) Greg, who has worked at Eastern Health for 36 years and spoke to Star Mail on the condition of first name only, said he and his colleagues play an important role in the hospital system.
“We worked through Covid. We had to deal with a lot of stressful issues during that time. You just feel forgotten as a PSA,” he said.
“You feel like you’re disposable. You feel like they don’t value you, that they can just toss you aside to a multinational corporation.”
It was estimated that 300 to 400 staff could potentially have their role outsourced across Box Hill and Maroondah Hospitals, Yarra Ranges Health in Lilydale, and Blackburn and Healesville Food Services.
In a statement to Star Mail, an Eastern Health spokesperson said the health service was “proposing a transition to a single, externally contracted model”.
ISS Facility Services Australia, a labour hire firm, was said to be the engaged “provider”.
“It is anticipated that existing employees will receive an offer of employment with the proposed provider,” the spokesperson said.
But workers and the Health Workers Union believed a shift to privatisation would bring “less compensation, weaker entitlements, less secure jobs”.
In November, another Eastern Health decision at the executive level came under scrutiny when it was proposed that they merge with Alexandra and District Health.
A quickfire consultation period was hashed out, including sessions in Healesville and Yarra Glen, where community member were largely nonplussed by the idea.
However over in Alexandra, concerns were more serious and Alexandra and District Traders and Tourism Association (ADTTA) secretary Caolán O’Connor said they broadly fall into three buckets; the short 15-day consultation period, a loss of local leadership and the lack of opportunity provided to the East Metro and Murrindindi Local Health Service Network, formed in July 2025.
“What we are very aware of is that Murrindindi has a very small population and that the rest of the eastern catchment has a very large population so just by law of averages, the chances of us having some seats around the table are statistically so much smaller,” he said.
“If the hospital is telling us how to trust the process, the CEC (Community Engagement Committee) is your avenue to have a voice, but in the past, the CEC have been the last person to find out about this, then there’s some issues with us being able to trust the process.”
The UCC saga concluded at the start of December when the Federal Government announced that Access Health and Community was selected the clinic at its Lilydale site.
The Lilydale Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (UCC) will be hosted at Inspiro – 17 Clarke Street – will be bulk billed, open seven days a week for extended hours, and without the requirement of a referral or appointment.
Access Health and Community chief executive officer Anna Robinson said she and the organisation were thrilled to be able to deliver the clinic later in December.
“We are proud to help bring this essential service to the Yarra Ranges to ensure local communities can get the care they need, when and where they need it, and help to reduce pressure on emergency departments,” Ms Robinson said.
“Added to this, as a community health organisation, we offer a wide range of integrated health and community services, in addition to the new Urgent Care Clinic. This means that we can connect people who come to Urgent Care with other services and support that they may need.”
Health minister Mark Butler said the idea behind the Lilydale clinic was to reduce pressure on the hospital system.
“This clinic will take pressure off the local hospitals, including the Maroondah Hospital and will fill an important gap in services across extended hours and over the weekend,” he said.
The Federal Government’s data indicated that around 32 per cent of presentations in 2023-24 to Maroondah Hospital’s Emergency Department were for semi-urgent or non-urgent conditions.
