Women's Health Loddon Mallee (WHLM) condemned the outcome of parliamentary vote on abortion access that would have seen all state-funded hospitals have to offer the procedure - including hospitals connected to religious organisations.

The proposed legislation was shot down by a joint Labor and opposition after Reason Party MP Fiona Patten introduced it to parliament, forcing a vote on Wednesday after negotiations with the government broke down.

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WHLM chief executive Tricia Currie said it was a disappointing result but she hoped individual hospitals would still make their own changes.

"What we are looking and asking for is that religious hospitals provide evidence-based information and pathways to services for women so access to abortions is given," she said.

"That's a requirement in the current Victorian Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health strategy, but we are days away from an announcement of a new strategy.

"It will bring some clarity around the expectations of all health services in terms of supporting women to have access to abortions as part of their healthcare."

And while this decision does not take away any access to abortions in the state, Ms Currie said it doesn't make it better for women and people seeking abortions either.

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"There is still an issue with accessibility and equity of services in regional Victoria," she said.

"It can be linked back to cost of living pressures, systemic barriers, costs in regional and rural areas, but we also don't have the workforce needed to provide these services.

"Reproductive rights and access to abortions should be included as part of universal healthcare."

The vote resulted in a joint force between Labor and the opposition with a selection of crossbenchers to defeat the bill 28-7.

Those voting against the bill included outspoken MP Bernie Finn, who was expelled from the Victorian Liberal Party in May for saying all abortions should be banned.

Many health services with religious affiliations rely heavily on their partner institutions for funding, in exchange for which they are required to uphold certain values.

Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas blasted Ms Patten's proposals ahead of the vote, saying they would lead to some hospitals losing money.

"We have here in Victoria the most progressive laws in the nation when it comes to ensuring women can access the sexual reproductive services that they need, including access to termination of pregnancy," she told reporters on Wednesday.

Ms Patten said she was aware of cases when women were denied contraception at certain hospitals and that some patients do not have a say about where they are treated.

"They can go to the Mercy or they can be sent to the Women's; they will get two very different services from two publicly funded hospitals," she said.

Health spokesperson and former midwife Georgie Crozier hit out at Ms Patten's "flawed bill".

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"There is no precedent in this state for health services to be mandated in the specific care and services that they provide - none whatsoever," she told parliament.

Greens leader Samantha Ratnam, who voted in favour of the defeated legislation, expressed her disappointment as she referenced the overturning in the United States of landmark legislation allowing a constitutional right to abortion.

"It is really important we keep these issues on the agenda after the Roe v Wade decision in the US. International events have domestic consequences," she posted to Twitter.

The bill would not have compelled individual doctors to provide the medical procedures.

With Australian Associated Press

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