Media release from ProCare Health

Dr Tom Marshall has announced his intention to resign as Chairman of the Board of ProCare Health Limited.

Dr Marshall, Chairman of ProCare since its establishment in 1995, has advised the ProCare Board and shareholders that he will not be available for re-election as a director and will stand down as Chairman at this year's Annual Meeting, on 18 November. He will continue to serve as Chairman of ProCare Network North Limited.

Dr Peter Didsbury, a founding director and the current Deputy Chairman of ProCare, has been elected as the new Chairman, effective 18 November.

Dr Didsbury has served on the senior management team as Clinical Director for 13 years and is the Chairman of the ProCare subsidiary Clinical Assessments Limited.  Dr Didsbury practiced for 20 years at the Fellbrook Medical Centre, Manurewa, and has recently moved his practice to Clendon Medical Centre.

He is also a director of the Best Practice Advisory Centre (NZ) Inc., immediate past President of the New Zealand Guidelines Group, and a member of the Community and Public Health Advisory Committee for the Counties Manukau District Health Board.

"I feel privileged to have served as the first Chairman of ProCare and especially proud of what we have achieved," Dr Marshall said.

"The General Practices that ProCare serves are the foundation of an effective health sector, and ProCare will continue to be a leader in the delivery of quality healthcare through organised General Practice. I know Peter, with his commitment to and passion for General Practice, will continue to provide strong and innovative leadership of the company."

Dr Marshall has been a general practitioner in Mt Eden for 42 years. He is a board member of the Auckland Cancer Society and of the Independent Practitioner Association Council, a Fellow and Accredited Director of the Institute of Directors and a former president of the New Zealand Medical Association.

At ProCare, he is acknowledged as a kaumatua by the Maori Advisory Committee and is a member of the Pacific Advisory Committee, in addition to chairing the ProCare Network North Board of directors. In 1996, Dr Marshall was awarded the OBE for services to medicine and to the community.

Dr Didsbury said: "I would like to thank Tom for his leadership and inspiration over the years. I look forward to continuing his commitment to the health of all ProCare patients and building on his strong advocacy and commitment to General Practice as the foundation of an effective primary care system."