Preston & Northcote Community Hospital

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The Preston & Northcote Community Hospital (often referred to as PANCH) was a former hospital located in Preston, Victoria, Australia, opened in 1958 and closed by the State Government of Victoria in February 1998 as part of a wider hospital-closure programme led by then Premier Jeff Kennett. This decision was made despite rallies and protests from local residents. PANCH was located on the corner of Bell and Hotham Streets. The site was sold off in April 1999, and part of the 30,000 square metre site is now occupied by The Bell Centre (student accommodation).

Fixtures from the hospital were removed by volunteers to help rebuild a community hospital in Suai, East Timor. The hospital's former operating theatres were used for a play on genetic engineering named The Teratology Project in 2002. As of late-2004, the derelict hospital remains intact with an uncertain future. Fences have been erected to prevent access to the former hospital.

A new facility called the Panch Health Service was established in 2003 by the State Government to address a shortage of medical services in the area. This State Government health service, which is located opposite the old PANCH site, is named out of nostalgia and is not directly connected with the former Preston & Northcote Community Hospital.