KEY POINTS:
Public criticism of the sacked Hawke's Bay District Health Board by one of its members lacks "factual substance," former chairman Kevin Atkinson says.
Peter Hausmann, who is at the centre of a conflict of interest row that engulfed the DHB, broke his silence last night to defend himself against allegations made under parliamentary privilege.
National Party MPs have accused him of colluding to give a company he partly owns, Healthcare New Zealand, favourable treatment in a tender process for a $50 million contract.
A report into the DHB's governance, ordered by the Ministry of Health and prepared by an independent panel, will be released on Monday.
"I am confident that the Review Panel Report will explain clearly what happened at Hawke's Bay DHB and will vindicate and explain my position," Mr Hausmann said last night.
He said he came to the board enthusiastic, but was "horrified" to find it was unprofessional and some members were treating competent managers and staff poorly.
Poor governance was "messing things up badly" and he said he could not find any rational reasons for the behaviour he was seeing.
But Mr Atkinson today said many of the issues raised by Mr Hausmann had no "factual substance".
He said he assumed the attack was the result of strain from two years of board, Audit Office and Health Ministry investigations.
If the board was as unprofessional as Mr Hausmann suggested, it would have been apparent to media who attended all its public meetings, Mr Atkinson said on Radio New Zealand.
A first draft of the independent panel's report has reached the media but a gagging writ is preventing publication.
In Parliament yesterday National's health spokesman, Tony Ryall, used parliamentary privilege to disclose parts of it.
"Would the minister be concerned to hear that leaked findings of the review team's 'version one' say: 'There were significant barriers to a vendor other than Healthcare NZ Succeeding with the proposal'," he said.
He also read from the report: "Mr Hausmann did not provide adequate disclosures to the board of his interest in the community services initiative".
Mr Ryall said Mr Hausmann had been involved in drafting both the board paper recommending that the DHB tender for community laboratory services, and the tender documents themselves.
Mr Atkinson said he had seen both draft reports but was gagged from commenting on the differences due to a confidentiality agreement board members had been required to sign to see the second draft.
Mr Hausmann said in his statement that he had been directed by Mr Atkinson to engage with management on the community laboratories project.
But Mr Atkinson said he had only directed engagement so management could do due diligence on Healthcare NZ to ensure it was a workable company.
Mr Cunliffe yesterday said Mr Ryall was trying to undermine the final report, which would be completed today and released on Monday.
- NZPA
