Media release from Canterbury District Health Board

Collaboration between the West Coast and Canterbury District Health Boards has moved a step closer with an agreement between both organisations to share a Chief Executive from 1 July.

Canterbury District Health Board will provide Chief Executive services to the Coast via an agreement that was confirmed at the West Coast's monthly Board meeting last Thursday. The contract is for the next five years and will involve CDHB Chief Executive David Meates leading the Canterbury and West Coast management teams.

WCDHB Chair Rex Williams said the new arrangement was a logical and exciting opportunity given the close collaboration that had developed between the two DHBs over a very long period of time. "Canterbury and West Coast health services are now so intertwined that it makes incredibly good sense to have one Chief Executive leading the development of more cohesive and sustainable services for both regions. Although both Boards will share a Chief Executive they are not merging and will continue to perform as separate entities"

"On a personal level David Meates is an excellent person to be filling this role, given his experience as a former manager of Grey Hospital and his knowledge of our local community," Mr Williams said.

In the last six months, other agreements have been made to formalise connections between the two DHBs.  In December last year, a clinical partnership arrangement was agreed, following a joint West Coast DHB/Ministry of Health sustainability project.  It has meant that future appointments of specialist clinical staff, including the recent appointment of a Director of Allied Health, are now for both organisations. Human Resources and Payroll services are among other functions that are being shared between the two DHBs, with Planning and Funding also being examined.

Acting WCDHB Chief Medical Advisor Dr Vicki Robertson is also in support of the agreement between the two DHBs.  "This new arrangement will build upon the close working arrangement that West Coast clinicians already have with their Canterbury colleagues and will support the work being done to enhance clinical safety and service continuity," she said.

CDHB Chair Alister James said very careful consideration had been given to sharing Canterbury's Chief Executive with the Coast.

"It is a very big job but Mr Meates is well supported by a strong team of senior executives and we believe that the arrangement will have benefits for both the West Coast and Canterbury. In the past, when West Coast services have struggled it has impacted on Canterbury.  Creating strong sustainable services for the West Coast will benefit people in both regions," he said.

"While Canterbury will continue to provide many secondary and tertiary hospital services to the West Coast, as it does to other parts of the South Island, the main focus will be on providing locally based, easily accessible healthcare for West Coast people."

WCDHB Chair Rex Williams said the West Coast District Health Board's current Chief Executive Joel George had been working for the Board for almost two years. "He has made a valuable contribution to the Board and the organisation during that time and we wish him well for the future."

Mr George said, "It has been a pleasure to act as Chief Executive for the West Coast District Health Board while the Board has settled on its long term leadership arrangements. I fully support the Board's decision to appoint a joint Chief Executive. It will enable the development of stronger and more sustainable health services for the people of the West Coast."

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working on the Coast and wish to recognise the immense efforts that everyone working in the health and disability sector on the Coast puts into providing safe and responsive services for the people of the West Coast."