200 apply for key health jobs

Press, 1 August 1989, Page 26

200 apply for key health jobs

DEBORAH McPHERSON

By

More than 200 people from New Zealand and overseas have applied for 10 key management positions in the Canterbury Area Health Board’s new structure.

Advertisements placed in newspapers nearly four weeks ago had drawn interest from New Zealand, Australia, Britain and the United States, said Sheffield Consulting Group, Ltd’s, South Island managing director, Mr Sean Beadon.

“We have had professionals from the health industry apply, as well as commercial managers because not all of the jobs require health knowledge,” said Mr Beadon yesterday. The board’s general manager, Mr Ron Parker, will work with the consulting group to draw up a short list in about two weeks for each of the 10 positions.

The consultants will then assess and interview those candidates.

The final appointments will be made by the general manager, to whom the. other managers will be accountable. Since the introduction

of the State Sector Act last April, area health boards no longer make staff appointments. The general manager is now the only person of the Canterbury Area Health Board’s 7000 staff who is directly accountable to the board.

Mr Parker said the toplevel management positions would be a “key factor” in the successful performance of the board. The managers should be appointed and at work by October or November, he said.

Mr Parker, the former chief executive of the Canterbury Hospital Board, was appointed general manager to the new area health board at the end of June. The new board was formed on June 1. The positions advertised were: manager, secondary care division; manager, secondary extended care division; manager, primary health; professional adviser, nursing services; professional adviser, medical services; manager, planning and policy unit; manager, performance audit unit; manager, Christchurch Hospital; manager, corporate services; and manager, commercial support services.