Key points:
- The Government sacked the board of Health NZ, replacing it with a commissioner.
- A former health boss said "intervention was required" amid issues in the system.
- But the board wasn't the problem, he added.
A former health boss has spoken out after the Government's big changes to Health NZ's governance, saying "intervention has been required for quite a long time" – but adding that he doesn't think this was the solution.
The National-ACT-NZ First coalition Government yesterday sacked the Health New Zealand board, replacing it with a commissioner due to concerns about oversight, overspend and a "significant deterioration in financial outlook".
"Health NZ is currently overspending at the rate of approximately $130 million a month," Health Minister Dr Shane Reti said.
Rob Campbell was fired from his role as Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ) chairman last year after he made comments on social media that criticised National's water infrastructure policy.
Asked about the Government's shakeup this morning on Breakfast, he said: "I don't know the most recent figures, obviously, but if one takes those figures at face value then intervention was required.
"And has been required though for quite a long time," Campbell added. "None of this is new.
"It took decades to wreck our health system, it needn't take decades to bring it right – but it won't happen quickly and it won't happen cheaply, and it won't happen by just continually reshuffling the chairs at the top.
"So it's a sad day, I think, for people that work in the system."
The Government appointed Professor Lester Levy – recently appointed Health NZ's chairperson – as the organisation's new commissioner, with a one-year tenure.
The back office, front line divide
Campbell said that, during his time in charge, "there's no question" the system was disconnected from the front line.
"It was a major effort to bring the district health boards together, which were all at very different stages.
"Some were quite good, some were not nearly so good. They all had a lot of different systems."
The 20 District Health Boards were formally disestablished on June 30, 2022, when Labour was in government.
Reti blamed Health NZ's financial issues on "the previous Government's botched health reforms" – but Labour hit back, accusing the coalition of "political spin" over the problem.
"Bringing [the DHBs] together was really the first job," Campbell said. "In that time, I think it's fair to say there was a distance between the leadership and the front line, if you like, of health services.
"But the clear effort has been to try and get over that. What progress has been made? I don't know – but not enough, that's clear.
"I don't think anyone would say that there's been enough done in Te Whatu Ora or in the wider health system to make anyone happy about where we're up to."
The Ministry of Health
Asked about the question of funding versus mismanagement, Campbell said the problem is "a mixture".
"The board actually is not all that relevant to this situation," he added.
"There has been mismanagement of that process at a very senior level.
"I would think that's a much bigger concern, how it works between ministers and the Ministry [of Health]."
The new commissioner
On Levy's new role, Campbell said: "It's an awful lot of power for one person.
"I wish him the very best for that, because we all need this to work.
"Each time a change happens, we need to make it work for the whole community – but it is a lot of power for one person.
"My own view is that it's too much. I don't think the board was the problem," he said.
The politics behind it
Campbell said "we've got to stop politicking" about the health system and reforms.
"There's too much finger-pointing going on amongst politicians... this is a problem we all own.
"We've all watched while our health system deteriorated," he continued. "We all own this, not just one political party or another political party."
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