Reduction would meet resistance

Press, 23 April 1987, Page 3

Reduction would meet resistance

Many local health authorities would strongly resist any move to reduce the number of hospital baords, said the board’s chairman, Mr Tom Grigg, yesterday. A recent association discussion paper outlined a range of suggestions for the reorganisation of the health services, including a move towards the establishment of 10 to 14 area health boards for the whole country — a reduction achieved through the amalgamation “where necessary” *of existing hospital boards and area health boards.

Mr Grigg, who is also association chairman, told the board that the question would have to be handled “fairly carefully.” “There is likely to be very great resistance to change, although there has already been a reduction in the number of

boards from the 1953 figure of 33. There is a mood for reduction at the present time,” he said. Mr David Lawrence said that any bulldozing tactics would have a bad effect on boards. Mr Bill Utley said that while reductions could not be forced on boards, it was important to provide information on which they could reach informed decisions.

The board’s policy committee was told recently that changes were needed to the New Zealand health system. If these were not implemented on a voluntary basis, they could become compulsory. The committee supported in principle the set of seven proposals in the discussion paper. Hospital board chairmen will meet in Wellington on May 12 to discuss the proposals and the comments.