Last week I wrote that I was looking forward to viewing the financial results of the CDHB. Well, this week their results went up on their website. These are the results from an executive team appointed by the Board. This is the team the Board chair said, “had the experience we felt were needed”. Well, that experience has just produced a doozy of a financial result. Just $27.5m above what was budgeted.to a final deficit of $172.583m.
Just to remind you what the Chair John Hansen said as reported in parliament earlier this year:
Addressing a Parliamentary health select committee on Thursday, CDHB chair Sir John Hansen said he did not believe the spate of resignations last year had been detrimental to the board’s finances or services.
“In actual fact there might be savings because we brought in acting chief executives with the experience we felt were needed … but the other roles were filled by the people … who have stepped up. So, I don’t think there will be a financial impact.”
That may have been Sir John’s hope but here’s the results folks. They are truly dreadful:
When the old executive was pushed out, they took with them the goodwill so essential to run a complex organisation like a health authority. The stories of frustrated staff, and GP’s goodwill evaporating, all cause costs to rise. The Board remained remote from the day-to-day activities which were pushing the deficit way above what the old executive had said was possible.
The Board decided to not support the old executive as they felt that the deficit of $90m, advocated by Lester Levy, was achievable. With this decision this area lost a world class executive team and the Board moved to an even deeper deficit. We predicted this at the time, and it gives us no pleasure to report on the complete failure of the Board. Or at least I should say most of the Board.
David Meates had enormous support from the staff. Remember the demonstrations outside the CDHB Board meeting like this one calling for Sir John Hansen to resign
David was popular without strutting around each week in front of a video camera saying what he had been doing this week. He is a genuine servant leader who let the staff tell their own story. Haven’t things changed…
In addition to the financial disaster in the media last week was a report on the CDHB’s poor performance regarding Covid19 vaccines.
On a population basis, however, West Coast isn’t the worst performer. Less than 36 percent of those over the age of 14 covered by the Taranaki DHB have had even a single shot of vaccine. The Christchurch region is also struggling, with the Canterbury District Health Board vaccinating just 40 percent of adults.
Here, Nelson Marlborough is in the lead, with just under 58 percent of its eligible population having had at least one dose. The next highest are Wairarapa, with 52.4 percent, and Tairāwhiti, with 51.86 percent.
Ian Powell regularly writes opinions on CDHB and its leadership. It’s well worth keeping this site on your “to look at” list. Here’s the link https://otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/.
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