Murray’s HealthTap visits cost $45,608
Expenses for former Waikato District Health Board chief executive Dr Nigel Murray show tens of thousands of dollars spent on travel associated with HealthTap, the American company that powers the board’s struggling virtual health app SmartHealth.
The latest revelation in Murray’s expenses scandal comes as the State Services Commission yesterday announced former Christchurch Earthquake Recovery Authority chief executive and deputy state services commissioner John Ombler as the lead investigator in the SSC’s probe into Murray’s spending.
Murray resigned last month after an inquiry found he had made unauthorised expenses. The board said he had agreed to repay the money.
Expense receipts show Murray originally spent $45,608 on international and domestic travel associated with HealthTap and SmartHealth.
That included six trips to the Silicon Valley interactive health company’s base in San Francisco between March 2015 and May 2017.
The DHB paid out $8929 for the March 2015 trip but reduced the amount payable to $1488 after it became clear that Murray went to Canada for seven days in the middle of the visit.
One of the trips in May this year cost $7615 for three days.
The $45,608 does not include a further three trips to the United States and Canada that Murray took in September, October and November last year because the DHB filed the expenses with a zero cost.
A spokeswoman said the cost for those trips, labelled “professional development and completion of research project” have been invoiced to Murray. The receipts show they were not authorised.
Murray’s reason for his involvement with the information systems strategy, believed to have cost as much as $17 million so far, is unclear and earlier this year the DHB did not specify his reason for the travel.
Simcock’s two visits in November 2014 and April 2016 amounted to $8655 for “due diligence”.
It’s understood that in large organisations like DHBs, the chief information officer is usually responsible for all information technology.
They in turn report to the chief executive.
But Murray not only visited the US hub at least six times, he also flew to Australia and other parts of New Zealand to promote SmartHealth, an app which lets patients talk to doctors, get health information and make appointments.
Murray travelled despite the fact the DHB was already working with primary health organisation Pinnacle Midlands Health, toward sharing their similar telehealth system before Murray was appointed CEO.
He defended SmartHealth when it came under the microscope in the media and gave it prominence in his foreword in the DHB’s 2015/16 annual report, saying he was “particularly proud” of SmartHealth.
The business case has never been released publicly but the DHB will now review its contract with HealthTap for the app, which has failed to attract the targeted number of users.
One of the trips in May this year cost $7615 for three days.