North Richmond injecting room CEO Patricia Collocott resigns

Mystery surrounds the sudden departure of North Richmond injecting room’s CEO, who called it quits mere weeks after a review into the facility was released.

Patricia Collocott, chief executive of North Richmond's injecting room has resigned just weeks after the Ryan Review into the facility was released. Picture: Supplied

The chief executive of North Richmond’s controversial injecting room has quit after almost three years in the job.

The Herald Sun can reveal Patricia Collocott, who began her role as chief executive in 2020, has resigned just weeks after the Ryan review into the facility was released.

She is the facility’s second chief executive since it opened in 2018.

The injecting room’s first chief executive, Demos Krouskos, was stood down in late 2019 after two outreach staff members were charged with drugs trafficking offences.

Drug paraphernalia is often found littered in parks and on streets near the injection room in North Richmond. Picture: supplied

North Richmond Community Health would not reveal the reason behind Ms Collocott’s resignation, but the Herald Sun understands recent demands of the job and the Ryan review had contributed to the decision.

Paul Geyer will now take the role as interim chief executive until the position is filled.

It comes after it was revealed on Monday that kids would be free to inject drugs under a plan by the Victorian Greens to broaden access to the state’s only supervised injecting room.

The push by the Greens comes as the state opposition moves to introduce its own amendments to have the facility relocated entirely this week.

A spokesman for North Richmond Community Health’s board chair said the board extends its thanks to Patricia Collocott for her time spent as chief executive.

Richmond supervised injecting room on Lennox street.

“The board was lucky to enjoy a close working relationship with Trish,” the spokesman said.

“We celebrate the achievements we saw as a service under Trish’s strong leadership including a strengthened organisational structure, increased responsiveness to the needs of the local community, and NRCH’s outstanding Covid response which saw over 3,000 public housing residents supported through education and outreach.

“We are actively recruiting for a chief executive and we welcome Paul Geyer as interim Chief executive officer.”

Opposition mental health spokeswoman Emma Kealy said the government needed to be more transparent about the facility.

“There are clearly significant issues at North Richmond Community Health and the injecting room it operates,” she said.

“This is why it’s absolutely critical that Labor immediately release the entire Ryan review including the hundreds of pages of missing data.

A government spokeswoman said Ms Collocott advised the department that she has chosen not to renew her contract in July this year.“We thank her for her valued and significant contribution to North Richmond Community Health and the many services the organisation provides,” the spokeswoman said.