Community health organisations in Victoria have expressed their concern over funding cuts.

Organisations are bracing for looming cuts of up to 15 per cent, with health promotion services being the primary target. 

These preventative health services include programs aimed at helping people quit vaping and smoking, healthy eating education, disability inclusion, and family violence prevention.

Chief executives from various organisations across the state say they were contacted by the Department of Health last week to be informed of the budget cuts. 

Jayne Nelson, the chief executive of IPC Health in Melbourne's west, described the news as “devastating, really disappointing,” saying that it could lead to staffing cuts and a reduction in programs delivered in local communities.

Access Health & Community's chief executive, Anna Robinson, also expressed her disappointment, calling it “an incredibly short-sighted decision” that would lead to fewer services for people when they need them most. 

She added that the cuts would ultimately end up costing taxpayers millions of dollars more in increased hospitalisations down the track.

Rick Jackson, the CEO of DPV Health, said that the funding cuts would lead to disadvantaged communities' suffering and chronic disease's continued growth, increasing the cost across the community.

The Victorian government spokesperson said that the changes to services “were elements of last year's Budget now being implemented - they do not represent a cut to health services”. 

However, community health leaders argue that they were not notified of the decision early enough.

Premier Daniel Andrews said that the upcoming cuts were flagged in previous budgets, due to “a whole lot of services that were basically double-ups”. 

He added that the state does not need multiple different services providing the same thing, especially as new local public health units were funded across the state.

However, community health leaders have argued that the decision was not communicated adequately, adding that the cuts could have been better communicated. 

David Towl, from the Australian Health Promotion Association, said that “cuts to health promotion are narrow-minded, short-sighted and not thinking about the future of Victorians' health”. 

The Victorian government has invested millions of dollars in local public health units, which have grown out of COVID-19 necessity and proved to be “very effective”, according to Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas. 

The state is borrowing a record amount to fix the beleaguered health system, which was struggling even before COVID-19 hit.

The premier has spoken with the health minister at the government-funded Glen Waverley Priority Primary Care Centre (PPCC), one of 21 PPCCs built in recent years. 

Responding to questions about the community health cuts, Mr Andrews pointed to the PPCCs as evidence that his government was investing in local and statewide health.

Medicare reform is expected to be the main item on the agenda at the upcoming National Cabinet meeting. 

Mr Andrews said he would not be drawn on speculation about the upcoming state budget, but all the state's commitments would be funded.