Statement from Kooweerup Regional Health Service, Peninsula Health and Alfred Health
Kooweerup Regional Health Service, Peninsula Health and Alfred Health warmly welcome Bass Coast Health and Gippsland Southern Health Service to Bayside Health (working title) – the new merged health service, which will commence on 1 January 2026.
Together, the five health services will care for more than 1.2 million people living in Victoria’s south-east, and deliver even better and more connected care in the community for the newly expanded south-east region.
This voluntary merger will build on strong clinical partnerships that already exist between the different health services and provide new opportunities for research as well as staff development.
Background
In December 2024, Peninsula Health, Alfred Health and Kooweerup Regional Health Service announced the decision to voluntarily merge to form Bayside Health (working title) from 1 January 2026.
The Victorian Government announced its final groupings for Victoria’s 12 Local Health Service Networks on 10 January 2025, which included Bass Coast Health and Gippsland Southern Health Service in the Bayside Local Health Service Network.
The five health services will initially come together as the Bayside Local Health Network from 1 July 2025, before the voluntary merger takes effect on 1 January 2026. Calvary Health Care Bethlehem will be a partner in the network from July 2025 and then continue to work alongside the new merged entity when it takes effect six months later.