Albury Wodonga Health Chief Medical Officer Simon Craig has resigned after taking it in August 2026. The health service confirmed his departure on Tuesday, about three months after he joined. The news comes as the regional service faces sustained demand for inpatient beds and more Emergency Department presentations.
An Albury Wodonga Health spokesperson said the organization thanked Craig for his contribution and wished him well. The service did not provide a reason for his decision. Craig is an experienced obstetrician and gynecologist, and had established a consultancy supporting healthcare organizations with workplace culture and leadership.
Chief Medical Officer Resigns After Three Months
Craig took on the chief medical officer position in August 2026. The service announced his resignation on Tuesday. The source report said Albury Wodonga Health was making acting chief medical officer arrangements in the interim, leaving the permanent role’s next steps unannounced.
The departure adds to a year of executive changes at the health service. Former chief executive officer Bill Appleby resigned in March, and board chair Jonathan Greene stepped away in June. These departures occurred earlier in the year; the source did not say they were connected to Craig’s decision.
The service also warned the community this week about longer admission waits. It attributed the pressure to sustained demand for inpatient beds and a rise in Emergency Department presentations. Those service pressures were reported alongside Craig’s resignation, without a stated connection between them.
Leadership Concerns Remain Separate
Albury Wodonga Health has also undergone a Safer Care Victoria review into workplace behaviors. In March, 120 members of the AWH Senior Medical Staff Association and Border Medical Association passed a no-confidence motion in the executive leadership. The motion cited ongoing concerns about governance, transparency and decision-making.
The source reported that key doctors left the service this year for various reasons, prompting further community anger. It did not attribute those exits to Craig or connect them to his resignation. The report placed the leadership developments amid a wider dispute over the hospital redevelopment, but offered no evidence that the project prompted Craig’s departure.
The redevelopment of Albury’s hospital has been the subject of a years-long political storm. The project has a stated value of $558 million. Clinicians and community leaders argue that the planned redevelopment is not fit for purpose. The federal, New South Wales and Victorian governments have already promised $558 million for the hospital. The Victorian opposition has promised an extra $100 million if it wins the state election.
Local advocacy group Better Border Health said Craig’s appointment had offered hope of rebuilding trust and confidence in the service. The group called his early departure disappointing and said the reasons were for Craig to explain. It added that the news renewed its concern that some problems raised under previous leadership might remain unresolved. That was the group’s assessment, not an explanation from the health service or Craig.
The immediate next step reported by the service is interim acting CMO coverage. The source did not identify who would fill that arrangement or say when a permanent appointment might be made. It also did not report a stated reason for Craig’s resignation. ABC News reported Craig’s resignation and the surrounding leadership developments.
Related leadership coverage includes executive leadership appointments, leadership discussions among school administrators, and a health organization’s leadership transition.
