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Two surprise resignations from Health New Zealand’s board mean just two people remain as members as others opt against continuing for another stint.
The Herald has confirmed board members Dr Jeff Lowe, a respected Wellington GP, and Naomi Ferguson, a former Inland Revenue chief executive, have resigned from the board more than a year before their terms were set to conclude.
Ferguson told the Herald she had resigned as of last week but she wouldn’t elaborate on why.
“I’m not prepared to talk about it,” she said, before ending the phone call.
Lowe could not be contacted for comment but his resignation was confirmed through a statement from the Ministry of Health.
GP Dr Jeff Lowe has resigned from the board, according to the Ministry of Health. Photo / Mark Mitchell
In a social media post in June, Adams - a former National minister - said she felt she “was not able to advance the changes that I believe need to be made” while on the board.
Stoddart, who had held several governance roles in the public and private sectors, said the complexity of achieving transformation in the public system had informed her decision, saying she wasn’t aware of any issues other board members were experiencing.
Walker confirmed he had applied for another term with the board but when asked if he intended to stay on the board, Walker said that was his intention at the time he applied. He would not give a direct answer regarding whether he wanted to stay on the board now.
Board member Roger Jarrold, who was appointed in March, wouldn’t tell the Herald whether he was still on the board but the health ministry’s statement later confirmed Jarrold and chairman Dr Lester Levy were the two remaining board members.
Levy could not be contacted today.
Sarah Turner, a Ministry of Health deputy director-general, said work was under way to fill the vacant roles before the next board meeting in August.
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti was on leave and couldn’t be interviewed, but a spokesperson for his office cited how Reti had referenced the ”urgent need for transformation” within Health NZ when Levy was appointed chairman in May.
“Dr Reti is currently considering a range of further options to refresh the board, the priority being to ensure Health NZ delivers for the people of New Zealand.”
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti was considering options to refresh the board. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Former Health NZ chairman Rob Campbell understood some board members were “frustrated” but couldn’t elaborate.
He cited his previously stated view that the Ministry of Health and the two Health Ministers he worked with while chairman didn’t fully understand how the relationship between the board and politicians should function.
Labour’s health spokeswoman Dr Ayesha Verrall, who sacked Campbell while she was Health Minister in the previous Government, suspected the board’s “near clear-out” was linked to the view she held that the level of funding provided by the Government wasn’t sufficient to adequately transform the health system.
“My suspicion is that the departing board members know that too.”
While she accepted Reti might have wanted to make one or two changes to the board, Verrall said this scale of change was not expected.
“This change goes far beyond that and is disruptive and chaotic.
“It sets positive change for the whole institution back ... both the Government’s agenda and many of the smart changes that officials are leading in the new system.”
Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.
