Fixing the Health System?
Really interesting to read various summations of the report delivered by the veritable Helen Simpson containing recommendations for the future management of Health Boards. She recommends “culling” the number of Health Boards to eight. There are currently twenty. Further – she recommends a new Crown Entity to oversee services and finances to which members would be appointed rather than elected. Finally, she recommends a new Maori Health Authority that reports to the Health Minister. Notwithstanding that the process of electing SOME members of DHBs was a dodgy dupe by a previous Labour led government successfully hoodwinking us into thinking we would have a say in how local health should be managed; I think the idea of reducing the number of decision-makers is sound. However, the “appointments process” needs to be about skill rather than reward; and it needs to focus on governors who have the intestinal fortitude to hold their teams to account....