Brown promises shakeup at Tairawhiti Healthcare

The man appointed to single-handedly govern Tairawhiti Healthcare following the Government's dismissal of the Gisborne board says he will sort out problems quickly.

Wayne Brown made his first visit to Gisborne this week, following his recent appointment by Health Minister Annette King.

Mr Brown said he had a plan to boost performance in the next 12 weeks.

"That's what I want to do."

He said he would spend more time in Gisborne next week and for "a couple of days every week for a while."

He "did not quite know" what each visit would entail, but said he would be decisive.

"I'm not the chief executive, I'm my own chairman, deputy chairman and board."

If there were a vote, he quipped, "I'm going to win it."

He said he had a track record of "fixing major problems."

Mr Brown said he had previously been asked to temporarily help Invercargill-based Southern Health "just like this."

He was appointed Land Transport Safety Authority chairman last year "to stock up and sort out public concerns" when the new driver's licence system was in turmoil.

During the 1998 Auckland power crisis, Mr Brown was appointed to the board of power lines company Vector, which he said was now very profitable.

Mr Brown wanted to correct reports about his professional life.

He said he was a consulting engineer with a chain of consultancies and still served on the board of TVNZ.

He is the owner of Sky channel Sundance and has other interests in digital technology.

Mr Brown is the chairman of Northland Health and expects to remain in charge of Tairawhiti Healthcare for 10 to 12 weeks, until Annette King appoints a new board.

- NZPA