District Health Boards' deficit rises to $39.3 million

5.00pm

New Zealand's district health boards have sunk deeper into the red, the latest quarterly figures show.

Released by Statistics NZ, the combined deficit of the 21 boards reached $39.3 million in the December 2003 quarter -- an increase of $34.2 million on the $5.1 million deficit recorded in September 2003.

However, it is $23.4 million lower than the deficit of the previous year in the December 2002 quarter.

Total district health board revenue rose to $1.89 billion, with funding from the Ministry of Health increasing by $147.7 million to $1.55 billion.

The boards' combined expenses rose by $195.1 million to $1.93 billion. This spending comprised mainly public hospital and health services (HHS) -- $1.13 billion -- and the purchase of medical services from private providers -- $773.3 million.

Total HHS expenses were 5 per cent higher than the December 2002 quarter. The biggest expense -- employees -- was 5.5 per cent higher than in December 2002, at $691.5 million.

- NZPA