14 Wairarapa jobs go at DHB

Fourteen jobs have been cut at Wairarapa DHB to create one management team across the Wairarapa and Hutt Valley DHBs.

In total, 41 positions have been disestablished, with Hutt Valley losing 27 roles.

Chief executive Graham Dyer said it was hoped the new structure would be in place by April 5.

The staff most affected by the joint structure are in senior management and executive positions.

The new structure will include 10 new executive positions and 15 in management.

Mr Dyer said eight of the 41 positions that had been disestablished were currently vacant.

"We're interviewing next week for new roles that will only be open to people that have been affected by the process," Mr Dyer said.

He was unsure exactly how many staff would be left without jobs.

"There's about eight people that will potentially not have roles from this.

"I can't give you an exact figure on who or how many people may end up being redundant," he said.

He said that the ability to find roles for people within the organisation was reasonably good.

"We could end up with nobody that has ended up losing a role from this."

Staff have been involved in the process from the beginning and nearly 750 staff from the two DHBs gave feedback on the new management structure.

"People have known this is coming, so there's been no surprises with the announcements that have been made."

Mr Dyer said the structure would be more cost effective. "By putting the two organisations, together it's going to cost less to run".

The integration process began nearly three years ago when senior clinicians from three lower North Island DHBs began looking at vulnerable services, and those which would most benefit from a joint approach.

In October 2012, the DHBs released a partnership programme to address sustainability, access and quality issues.