Simcock defends Murray investigation

Waikato DHB chairman Bob Simcock is defending the call to stop an investigation into disgraced boss Nigel Murray partway through, saying it was a ‘‘balancing decision’’.

Simcock has come under increasing pressure to step down following Murray’s resignation on October 5. Murray resigned partway through an investigation which found evidence of unauthorised spending, estimated to be less than $50,000.

The heads of the country’s two biggest doctor unions, as well as the New Zealand Taxpayers Union, have called on Simcock to step down and urged the DHB to relaunch the investigation into Murray. Simcock said the board’s decision to end the investigation following his resignation was the right one and couldn’t be restarted

‘‘The decision was a balancing decision between our preference to have the investigation completed and published versus legal advice that we risk significant legal action,’’ Simcock said.

Since Murray’s resignation, leaked information has surfaced alleging Murray spent unauthorised funds on travel and accommodation for two women and deleted data off his cellphone. Simcock said the ongoing leaks left the DHB vulnerable to legal action.

‘‘You have to recognise the information that has been leaked around Nigel [Murray] potentially breaches his rights to a fair hearing and that represents a legal risk for the DHB,’’ Simcock said.

A prolonged investigation could also have stalled the DHB’s search for a new chief executive. Simcock said the Health Ministry has requested a briefing on the Murray investigation.

Reports that the Health Ministry planned to launch its own investigation into Murray were false, Simcock said.

‘‘What I think will be in the briefing, without actually knowing, will be a timeline that says this is when we became aware of some issues and this is the steps we took. There will also be some commentary around the basis for the decision the board took.’’

Simcock said the ministry briefing wouldn’t go into specific allegations about Murray. He didn’t know the timing of the briefing. Simcock’s briefing report is expected to be put on the DHB’s website.

Meanwhile, health board executives will meet on Friday to draft terms of reference for a review of the DHB’s controversial virtual health initiative SmartHealth. DHB member Dave Macpherson, speaking at the board’s October meeting in Taumarunui, asked for the review to address allegations SmartHealth had overrun its budget.

Macpherson also asked to be given documents used to support SmartHealth’s business case. The DHB has consistently declined to reveal the cost of SmartHealth, citing commercial sensitivities.

SmartHealth uses an app to connect users to a health professional via a smartphone, computer or tablet. Speaking after the meeting, Simcock said allegations Murray’s resignation was linked to the upcoming review of SmartHealth were incorrect. Simcock said the pending review would look at the HealthTap platform which underpinned SmartHealth.

‘‘This review is about whether this is the right platform and have we approached the whole thing the right way. It’s not an investigation in an employment sense. SmartHealth is about a strategy for using digital technologies to reach out to members of our community to support them to stay healthy or get treatment. HealthTap is a technology platform which we chose to use about two years ago.

’’We were always clear that the use of HealthTap would be reviewed in a couple of years as the contract came to an end.’’

At October’s board meeting, the travel and accommodation expenses of all health board executives, including Murray, were detailed for September 2017. Simcock said the monthly reporting was a new initiative which flowed out of the Murray investigation.