Lester Levy resigns as chairman of Auckland health boards

Lester Levy has resigned as chairman of Auckland's three district health boards. Photo / File

The chairman of Auckland's three district health boards has today announced his resignation.

Dr Lester Levy was appointed chairman of Counties Manukau, Auckland and Waitemata district health boards in November last year.

He has been chairman of Waitemata District Health Board since 2009.

In an email to staff at the health boards he explained that his resignation was because he was would soon reach the maximum period of service he could legally serve as chairman at Waitemata.

"When I was approached in 2016 to be appointed as chair of all three metro Auckland DHBs, I accepted on the understanding that I would serve as chair of all three only for as long as it was possible to do so by law. In line with this understanding and the original intention to have one chair for all three metro Auckland DHBs, my term at all three DHBs will conclude when my Waitemata term finishes."

Levy explained that he was bringing forward his finishing date to late January because he had since been appointed as one of five advisers on the Ministerial Advisory Group on the Health System set up by Health Minister David Clark.

The group would advise Clark on lifting the Ministry of Health's leadership and performance, strengthening relationships across the sector and helping to deliver the Government's strategic direction for health.

"I will now bring my finishing date forward to late January 2018 to avoid any perceived conflicts of interest with my role as chair of the three metro Auckland DHBs and as chair of the Northern Region Governance Group. These perceived conflicts with my role on the Ministerial Advisory Group relate to the scale of population-based health funding received by the three metro Auckland DHBs and the Northern Region," he said.

Waitemata District Health Board chief executive Dr Dale Bramley paid tribute to the extraordinary contribution of Levy.

"In the almost-nine years that Dr Levy has been chair of Waitemata DHB, he has overseen significant developments across our governance, our staffing, our services and our facilities," Bramley said.

"Dr Levy's passion, drive and will to make things happen have been integral to each of these new facilities that have lifted the volume and quality of healthcare provided to the Waitemata community."