DHBs to share board members for greater collaboration

District Health Boards are to share some appointed board members to strengthen DHB collaboration and add financial capacity.

"Over the next fifteen months, the Government will increase the number of appointed District Health Board members who sit on more than one neighbouring Board." says Health Minister Tony Ryall.

Mr Ryall says that just as health services are enhanced with increasing clinical networking between hospitals, so health services can be improved by DHBs working more closely together.

"This is particularly so in Auckland and Wellington, but is also important with neighbouring DHBs in the regions."

The Health Minister says that having common members on neighbouring boards will help to break down silo thinking and assist DHBs to have a better knowledge of each others' services and issues. 

"It should also help to improve services through greater regional co-operation."

The Minister will be looking to add people with health and financial expertise.

"DHBs have responsibility for overseeing budgets from $100 million to over $1 billion a year. They also have in total around $160 million of unfunded services (DHB deficits) inherited from the last Government.

"However the Ministry of Health advises that only around 10% of Board members have specific financial expertise".

"The Government has committed to not forcibly merging DHBs, and that will be honoured. However that does not mean we cannot take positive steps to bring our DHBs closer together, and the cross appointment of some common members is a positive means of achieving that" says Mr Ryall.