Ten new DHB chairs announced

File photo

Ten new chairs have been appointed to District Health Boards (DHBs) among positions announced today by Health Minister Tony Ryall.

Mr Ryall said vacancies came up because of statutory term limits, retirements and bereavement and he was using the opportunity to "refresh the leadership and skill mix" on the boards.

In Auckland, Lester Levy would continue as chairman of Waitemata DHB but would also chair the Auckland DHB. In Wellington, public health physician Virginia Hope would chair the Capital and Coast and the Hutt Valley DHBs.

"These cross-appointments signal a push for greater regional collaboration in the planning and delivery of health services," Mr Ryall said.

"The overlaps between each of these Auckland and Wellington region DHBs are clear."

A number of DHBs have members on more than one board.

"Both the MidCentral chairman Phil Sunderland and the Whanganui chairwoman Kate Joblin have been reappointed and will deputise for each other. Existing Canterbury member Peter Ballantyne will become deputy chairman of both Canterbury and West Coast."

Five boards would be chaired by elected members - Whanganui, Hawke's Bay, Capital Coast, Nelson and South Canterbury - who were re-elected to their boards at the October elections. Half the boards have deputy chairs who were also elected in October.

New chairs were Dr Levy, Deryck Shaw at Lakes DHB, Sally Webb at Bay of Plenty, David Scott at Tairawhiti, Mary Bourke at Taranaki, Kevin Atkinson at Hawke's Bay, Dr Hope at Hutt and Capital and Coast, Jenny Black at Nelson-Marlborough, Paul McCormack at West Coast, Bruce Matheson at Canterbury, and Joe Butterfield at Southern.

- NZPA