Eight DHB chairs to be stood down
new-zealand-labour-party
Mon Nov 15 2010 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
Eight DHB chairs to be stood down
Monday, 15 November 2010, 11:33 am
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
15 November 2010 Media Statement
Eight DHB chairs to be stood down by Tony Ryall in merger by stealth move
Eight DHB chairs are to be stood down by Health Minister Tony Ryall as the National Government moves to merge boards by stealth, Labour Health spokesperson Ruth Dyson says.
“Labour understands that Rex Williams from the West Coast, Alister James from Canterbury, Peter Glensor of Hutt Valley, Gregor Coster of Counties Manukau, Pat Snedden of Auckland, Stewart Edwards of Lakes, Kate Joblin of Whanganui, Errol Millar of Southern DHB and Mary Hackett of Bay of Plenty DHB are all being replaced,” Ruth Dyson said.
“These chairs are being replaced so that boards can be merged by stealth in order to centralise and reduce frontline health services.
“West Coast and Canterbury will have a shared chair in the form of Paul McCormack, Virginia Hope is being touted to chair both Hutt Valley and Capital and Coast, while Phil Sunderland is also being discussed by the Minister as chair for both MidCentral and Whanganui DHBs.
“Questions must be asked about how many chairs are being replaced because of their refusal to cut frontline health services.
“Former Capital and Coast DHB CEO Ken Whelan stood down after refusing to cut more services, while Errol Millar of the Southern has already warned that Boards will be expected to cut frontline services to meet the Minister of Health Tony Ryall’s demands.
“People living in rural areas should be extremely worried about the decision to increase the number of shared DHB chairs.
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“The pace of frontline cuts and the centralisation of services will only pick up pace under this plan from National.
“The fact the Minister has slowly been leaking the names of chairs he won’t be replacing shows just how duplicitous National is being.
“Communities need to be aware that their Boards are being merged by stealth and that this will mean cutbacks to services,” Ruth Dyson said.
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