Jamieson Medical Clinic will move into new premises in the Dennington Woolworths complex mid next month.

A spokesman for the clinic said both the Dennington and Koroit sites would be in operation together for a small period of time. He said the Koroit clinic, which was located in the old Koroit hospital building, would not operate into 2017. 

The spokesman said the opportunity to move into a new facility with more capacity was behind the exit from Koroit. He said the new clinic would have three consulting rooms compared with one in use at Koroit, while the Dennington site would also have access to pathology services.

Port Fairy Medical Clinic has been mooted as a possible tenant for the Koroit site.

Doctor Andrew Gault from the Port Fairy clinic said the idea had been discussed.

“It is something we would like to do in theory but in practice it would not be easy for us,” Dr Gault said.

“There is no point going into anything half-hearted, there is a lot to consider.

“We are interested, it is just looking at the logistics of it. We made one approach to the council to have a look at the rooms but we were told we couldn’t while there was a tenant in there. We have had no official approach from council or Moyne Health Services about Koroit.”

Dr Gault said the clinic’s commitment to its services in Port Fairy and Macarthur remained a priority.

The old Koroit hospital site is managed by Moyne Health Services with the building housing the clinic leased to the shire. Council sub-leases the building to Jamieson Medical Clinic.  

A spokesman for the council said Jamieson Medical Clinic was offered an opportunity to renew the current lease which expires in January 2017.

He said council was open to an upgrade of the facility.

“If the clinic decides to not continue with the lease then the opportunity for leasing of the building would be advertised,” the spokesman said.

“Infrastructure works can be undertaken by council in exchange for a longer term lease which provides for a payback period or by the prospective tenant.”

Moyne Health Services CEO David Lee said his organisation had not investigated the thought of independently engaging doctors when the building became vacant.