Labour are claiming to have advance knowledge of plans by National to rationalise the DHBs, abolishing the some of the chairs and leaving some people chairing two DHBs. The rumour is that the Hutt DHB chair position would be abolished, and that Peter Glensor would be replaced, leaving Virginia Hope to run both the Hutt and CC DHB.
And of course, a conspiracy theory has already emerged…
These chairs are being replaced so that boards can be merged by stealth in order to centralise and reduce frontline health services.
One would have thought that reducing governance overhead would be done in order to increase frontline services, and that’s almost certainly how Ryall will spin it, but c’est la labeur.
Newly elected CCDHB member David Choat has already blogged on this (and can we just say now, how damn refreshing it is to have DHB members actually communicating!) and is far more rational. He’s only in favour of mergers if the people want it…
I have an open mind on the issue of a merger, but I’m clear about one thing: such a plan would only work if its proponents take the time to consult genuinely with both communities and persuade them of the merits of the idea. If they try to force a merge against the wishes of one or both communities, that will only lead to resentment and tensions.
If a merger were looked at, consideration would also need to be given to the implications for Capital & Coast’s other sub-regional partner, Wairarapa DHB
And he’s also thinking of the bigger picture – what about the Wairarapa DHB? Could we see a three-way merger so the greater Wellington region has a Super DHB?
WCC Watch 