Security regulator warns against hospital security guards doubling as cleaners
The integrated model meant ISS Facility Services Limited's employees contracted to do security work at Health New Zealand-operated hospitals in Te Kūiti and Tokoroa could also pick up cleaning
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RNZ News
39 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Health NZ board re-established by government
Health New Zealand commissioner Lester Levy will chair the new governance board for the next year. Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro The government is re-establishing the Health New Zealand governance board, putting current commissioner Lester Levy in charge. The board was axed a year ago, when the government said it had serious concerns about oversight and a budget blow-out. Levy was then brought in to lead the agency, saying his priorities were reducing wait times and improving productivity . Health Minister Simeon Brown said under Levy's leadership as commissioner, Health New Zealand had delivered a strong financial plan, and a clear health delivery plan was now in place. "He is refocusing the organisation on patients and driving progress on the government's health targets, which are seeing waitlists reduced," Brown said. Brown said Levy would chair the new board for a 12 month term to ensure continuity of leadership. He said he would begin a nomination process later this year for a permanent chair to take effect from July next year. Other key appointments announced by the minister: Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
2 hours ago
- Scoop
New Governance For Health New Zealand
Minister of Health The Government is today announcing the reestablishment of the Health New Zealand Board, with new appointments to drive its priority of ensuring timely, quality healthcare for all New Zealanders, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The re-established Health New Zealand Board will take over from the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners appointed last year to stabilise the organisation and set a clear direction. 'Under Professor Lester Levy's leadership as Commissioner, Health New Zealand has delivered a strong financial plan, and a clear Health Delivery Plan is now in place. He is refocusing the organisation on patients and driving progress on the Government's health targets, which are seeing waitlists reduced,' Mr Brown says. Professor Levy has been appointed Chair of Health New Zealand for a 12-month term to ensure continuity of leadership. His appointment will maintain momentum on the Government's health targets and keep the focus firmly on patients. Mr Brown also announced his intention to begin a nomination process later this year for a permanent Chair to take effect from 1 July 2026. 'I have also appointed an experienced team of Board members who will support Health New Zealand to deliver for patients, including the appointment of Dr Andrew Connolly as Deputy Chair. Dr Connolly is an experienced surgeon and clinical director who has also held numerous appointments across Governments, including Chair of the Medical Council, Crown Monitor, and Commissioner on District Health Boards. 'I am also appointing Hamiora Bowkett as a Crown Observer to keep a close watch on performance and support the Board with independent oversight. This role will focus on supporting the Board's re-establishment and ensuring Health New Zealand delivers on the Government's health targets. Mr Bowkett will advise me directly, with a particular focus on Health New Zealand's financial position and the delivery of health targets.' 'We're also tackling one of the biggest barriers to better care - our ageing health infrastructure - by establishing a dedicated Infrastructure Committee to make sure our Government's significant investment in health infrastructure delivers modern facilities, on time and on budget. 'This is about accountability. Patients care about seeing a doctor sooner, getting their hip surgery faster, being treated in a hospital that works. That's what these governance changes are designed to achieve.' The key appointments include: Professor Lester Levy, currently Commissioner of Health New Zealand and Chair of the Health Research Council, has been appointed Chair of the Health New Zealand Board for a 12-month term. Dr Andrew Connolly, a senior surgeon and clinical leader, is appointed Deputy Chair. Board members include Roger Jarrold, Dr Frances Hughes, Parekawhia McLean, Peter McCardle, and Terry Moore. Hamiora Bowkett is appointed as Crown Observer to support and monitor Health New Zealand. A new Infrastructure Committee, chaired by Dr Margaret Wilsher, will oversee the delivery of critical health projects, supported by experienced members: Mark Binns, James Christmas, Sarah Sinclair, Evan Davies, and Roger Jarrold. 'I want to acknowledge the work of Professor Levy as Commissioner, and thank Deputy Commissioners Roger Jarrold, Ken Whelan, and Kylie Clegg for the rapid progress they have made in refocusing Health New Zealand on patients. "There is still much work to do, and I look forward to working with the Health New Zealand Board to deliver for patients, achieve the Government's health targets, and continue driving progress on the key priorities I announced in March. 'These changes ensure we have the right people in the right roles to get it done.' Appointed members will assume their roles on 23 July 2025, when the Commission ends. Health New Zealand Board appointments Professor Lester Levy CNZM – Chair Professor Lester Levy is the current Commissioner for Health New Zealand and serves as Chair of the Health Research Council. He has chaired multiple District Health Boards and is a Professor of Digital Health Leadership at Auckland University of Technology. Professor Levy has been appointed to a 12 month term. Dr Andrew Connolly MNZM – Deputy Chair Dr Andrew Connolly is a general and colorectal surgeon with a distinguished clinical background and is currently the Chief Medical Officer at Counties Manukau. He is also currently the Chair of the Health Workforce and System Efficiencies Committee, a former Chair of the Medical Council, and former member of the Health Quality & Safety Commission. He has also served as a Deputy Commissioner and Observer for various District Health Boards. Roger Jarrold – Member Roger Jarrold is currently Deputy Commissioner – Finance of Health New Zealand and a Board member of the New Zealand Blood and Organ Service. He has extensive financial experience, having worked in finance in the private and public sectors for over 40 years. Mr Jarrold has been appointed to a 12 month term. Dr Frances Hughes CNZM – Member Dr Frances Hughes is a registered nurse and current member of the boards of the Health Research Council and the Water Services Authority. She has over 30 years of nursing experience and has held senior healthcare positions in several countries, including as Chief Nurse of New Zealand at the Ministry of Health, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer at Queensland Health, and Chief Executive Officer at the International Council of Nurses. Parekawhia McLean (Ngāti Maahanga, Waikato, Ngāti Maniapoto) – Member Parekawhia McLean is currently the Chair of the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee, Te Whakakitenga o Waikato (the governance body of Waikato-Tainui), a director of Transpower, and the Chief Executive of the Criminal Cases Review Commission. Parekawhia has extensive governance experience and is a former Chief Executive of Waikato-Tainui. Hon Peter McCardle – Member Peter McCardle has over 30 years of public sector and political experience, with a strong focus on health policy and system performance. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1990 to 1999, including ministerial portfolios. He also served as a member of the Hutt Valley District Health Board and Upper Hutt City Council as Councillor, Deputy Mayor, and Chair of the Council's Audit Committee. Terry Moore – Member Terry Moore is the current Chair of Canopy Healthcare, Deputy Chair of IGENZ - Innovative Genomics, and a Board member of CHT Care Homes. Terry brings significant experience working in both the public and private health sectors, including serving as the CEO of Southern Cross Healthcare between 2007 and 2022. Crown observer Hamiora Bowkett (Te Arawa, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Rangiwewehi) Mr Bowkett has 25 years' experience across the public and private sectors, with expertise in health, infrastructure, and Māori development. He currently leads the Health Assurance Unit, overseeing key Government health priorities, including infrastructure funding, legislative reform, and monitoring of Health New Zealand. In 2019, Mr Bowkett was jointly appointed by Ministers to the Capital & Coast and Hutt Valley District Health Boards. Ministerial Health Infrastructure Committee Dr Margaret Wilsher – Chair Dr Wilsher is a highly experienced respiratory physician and Chief Medical Officer at Health New Zealand - Auckland. She has significant senior governance experience and extensive financial and clinical leadership experience, including serving on the Capital Investment Committee for the Government overseeing health infrastructure investment between 2011 and 2023. Mark Binns Mr Binns is a qualified lawyer and a former partner of Simpson Grierson in Auckland. He was Chief Executive of Meridian Energy from 2012 to 2017, and before that spent 22 years with Fletcher Building, including 15 years as Chief Executive of the Construction and Infrastructure division. James Christmas James Christmas is an Auckland barrister with extensive experience in public law, governance, and Crown entity oversight. He has advised on major policy and infrastructure matters and brings a strong understanding of public sector accountability, financial management, and the legal frameworks that govern infrastructure investment. Sarah Sinclair Sarah Sinclair is a highly regarded construction, infrastructure, and energy specialist with extensive experience acting for both government and private sector clients in large-scale, complex infrastructure projects and public sector reform programmes. Evan Davies Evan Davies has multi-sector knowledge and has held a diverse range of senior leadership roles over the last 30 years. He has recently been appointed as the Crown Manager to the Health New Zealand New Dunedin Hospital Inpatient Building Project. Roger Jarrold (see bio above) The Minister announced his five key health priorities in March at his speech to the BusinessNZ Health Forum. These priorities can be found here: The intention is that the infrastructure committee will transition to become a permanent infrastructure committee of the Health NZ Board once amendments are made to the Healthy Futures Act. All members will transition from the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Health Infrastructure to this new infrastructure committee once it is established.
Otago Daily Times
15 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Health petition arrives, minister's visit looms
"General practices are like the canary in the coal mine. When they're not running or resourced well, you see the flow-on effect in EDs" — Karl Metzler. Photo: Linda Robertson Gore Health will be hosting quite a pairing this week, a petition calling the state of healthcare an emergency and the associate health minister. The Buller Declaration is a petition started in September last year following the closure of the Buller regional hospital on the West Coast. The petition states healthcare is in a state of crisis and requires intervention by the government as well as the allocation of more resources for staffing issues. It also states the rural, Māori and poorer populations are being further victimised by this crisis, and the government must meet its obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi. Already the petition has received thousands of signatures, with more to come as it sits in the foyer of Gore Health until the end of the month. Gore Health chief executive Karl Metzler said there was a tremendous amount of pressure being put on hospitals, especially down South, due to a medical downturn. "General practices are like the canary in the coal mine. When they're not running or resourced well, you see the flow-on effect in EDs [emergency departments]. "Our little rural ED has gone from 6000 visits in 2021/22, to a 45% increase to over 10,000 visits this financial year. This is not sustainable," he said. Waiting lists are only growing longer, Mr Metzler said, it was becoming nearly impossible to access specialists in Southland. Mr Metzler said in a region with such strong economic drive there needed to be some reciprocity for the health sector down South. "We are a major food basket for this country and I think we're really getting short changed on the healthcare front, despite the tax dollars we contribute." Mr Metzler was hoping to raise awareness of the issue and also the petition. He was optimistic it would get a lot of support from the community. Tomorrow, Gore Health will be hosting Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey, who is responsible for mental and rural health. Mr Metzler said although he will be discussing issues with the minister, it would also be a great chance to promote what a rural hospital can be. "Gore has a lot to showcase and celebrate as a community-owned, integrated health facility. It's quite unique and I think we should be proud. "But it's also an opportunity to highlight some of the rural inequity of being a trust-owned hospital." Mr Metzler said as a trust-owned hospital, funding from Health New Zealand was a drop in the bucket compared to other facilities.
