Three health boards bid for greater collaboration

By PHILLIP ENGLISH


Auckland's three district health boards will share one deputy chairman, in a move designed to promote greater collaboration between them.

Mr Ross Keenan, chairman of the Counties Manukau board, has been appointed deputy chairman of Counties Manukau, Auckland and Waitemata boards by Minister of Health Annette King.

Ms King said there will also be no change in the leadership of all but two of the country's district health boards.

Pat Snedden, an elected member of the Auckland board, would succeed Mr Keenan as chairman of Counties Manukau.

"I am generally pleased with the way DHBs are performing and re-appointing almost all the board chairs will provide continuity and stability," she said.

Apart from Mr Snedden, the other new chairman-designate is Alex Grooby, who will become chairman of Nelson Marlborough board when the new boards take office in December.

Ms King said the fact that full results of the health board elections were not known, and that five current chairmen stood in the elections, were not factors in the appointments.

Boards consist of seven elected members and up to four appointed by the minister. The chair is also appointed by the minister from among the appointed or elected members.

Mr Keenan, who lives in Counties Manukau, said last night he was looking forward to the job involving several billion dollars of health spending in an area containing about a third of the country's population.


He said his job was to help ensure efficiencies were made, opportunities maximised and that, above all, services were provided adequately.

He said the three chairmen and their chief executives already met regularly every month, which helped to promote collaboration in the region.

But he denied the move was about creating one super health board in the region."That has never been stated to me as part of the objective."