GPs best for health boards says doctor

A general practitioner says people should vote for GPs for their district health board in this October’s local elections.

As well as the mayor and local boards, voters will help decide seven of the 11 members on Waitemata District Health Board (DHB), which serves the North Shore, Rodney and West Auckland.

The four other board members are appointed by the health minister.

Dr Jon Wilcox, a North Shore general practitioner, says DHBs need to run hospitals more efficiently.

‘‘The board is there to manage but should have a genuine and inquisitive overview of the health environment of their region,’’ Wilcox says.

‘‘The most successful board members in the past have been GPs as they are the only people with a true idea of what goes on in both community and secondary care.’’

He says people rarely vote for the right people at the right time.

‘‘Creating efficiencies in the hospital health environment especially needs commitment and a few champions. They rarely exist and even more rarely come forward.’’

Waitemata DHB chairman Dr Lester Levy says a background in healthcare isn’t critical.

‘‘We have a number who do have a background in it but it isn’t a liability providing they’ve got experience in other things that matter,’’ Levy says.

‘‘It’s disappointing we don’t have any people with law, engineering, finance or accounting experience. We candidates who backgrounds.’’

Board members are responsible for the governance of the DHB, including things like health and safety, public consultations, and action and services plans.

Levy says the role is challeng- seldom get have those ing and a huge time commitment, with meetings every Wednesday and about 300 to 600 pages of reading each week.

‘‘It’s a rapidly growing population with changing demographics. People should think about what kinds of people they want representing them.’’

This year’s candidates are Max Abbott, Edward Benson-Cooper, John Bottomley, Michelle Clayton, Sandra Coney, Mark Dunlop, Warren Flaunty, Monina Gesmundo, James Le Fevre, Peter Leong, Brian Lythe, Norm McKenzie, Brian Neeson, Allison Roe, and Te Aniwa Lynne Tutara.