New role for DHB chief

Nelson Marlborough Health chief executive Chris Fleming will take over the embattled Southern DHB as it struggles to control its huge debt.

Fleming will be seconded to the DHB, which looks after Otago and Southland, as its interim chief executive. He said he was looking forward to the challenge of heading the health board, whose board members were sacked by Health Minister Jonathan Coleman in June last year following serious concerns over the board’s financial performance.

At the time, its deficit was forecast to rise up to $42 million for 2015/16.

Fleming helped to guide the NMDHB its own financial difficulties when he became chief executive in 2013. ’’I had a challenge when I came here with the big deficit we were facing but I was up for the challenge.’’

The Southern DHB commissioner team, led by Kathy Grant, was starting to turn around the deficit challenge and an improved deficit position of $35.9m for 2015-16 had been agreed.

Fleming will join the Southern DHB in mid-September and was expected to stay with the health board for about six months while the chief executive recruitment process took place.

Fleming and his wife will relocate to Dunedin for the role. Elections for the board have been axed this year so Grant can stay in the role until 2019.

Former Southern District Health Board chief executive Carole Heatly resigned earlier this month citing personal and family reasons as to why she was unable to commit to a longer term.

Fleming will work alongside the executive leadership team and is familiar with Southern DHB’s struggles having reviewed its governance structure after the board was dismissed.

‘‘I spent a couple of weeks there, had a look at issues, identified some of the weaknesses in their financial systems and processes and made a series of recommendations,’’ he said.

‘‘Some of which have been implemented as I suggested and others have been incorporated into the Owning Our Future strategy.’’

Fleming said he would still remain engaged with Nelson Marlborough Health and the board members. ’’The thing I am really pleased with is I am going into this interim role with the blessing of my board and with the confidence that we have enough capability here to step up for me.’’

Current general manager of clinical services Peter Bramley would step into the acting chief executive role from August 12.

An appointment would be made soon for the general manager of clinical services role.