Health NZ chair resigns
Dame Karen Poutasi has resigned as the chair and a board member of Health NZ — Te Whatu Ora.
She was made chair after the previous chair, Rob Campbell, was sacked.
Poutasi’s exit before her
18-month term expires at the year’s end means Health NZ will be on the lookout for its third chair since it was set up in July
2022. She declined to speak to the Herald when approached yesterday.
Health Minister Shane Reti said Poutasi resigned yesterday. She has been asked to stay on until May to give Reti time to find a replacement.
The Government is in the midst of Budget negotiations, which have put pressure on sectors like health, which face severe cost pressures. Health NZ is slightly insulated from these as the former Government pre-committed to funding increases, which this Government agreed to keep. But a recent select committee report of Health NZ noted that inflation had risen since those funding increases were committed to, suggesting even more money may be required.
The Government has also committed to publishing the first Government Policy Statement on Health this quarter. It will give an overview of the Government’s priorities for Health NZ and how it should conduct business. The document may try to resolve some difficult trade-offs between the many competing priorities in health.
“Dame Karen has been a valued member of the board since the establishment of Health NZ, before stepping into the chair role,” Reti said.
“On behalf of the Government, I thank Dame Karen for her work with Health NZ and for her many years of prior service to the health sector.”