5 April 2022
Michael Mylie
[FYI request #18874 email]
Ref: OIA-2021/22-1125
Dear Michael Mylie
Official Information Act request relating to [M.R.M.] Proposed abolition of 20 DHBs
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) request transferred from the Ministry
of Health and received by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) on 17 March
2022. You requested:
The 20 DHB's spread across New Zealand individually and collectively employ a huge
number of people.
In today's NZ Herald it was reported that; "The Government intends to make appointments
for positions in the new agency from the beginning of 2022 ..."
Please can you provide me with the following Official Information:-
1. Are there going to be job losses across the 20 DHB's and if so what number of DHB
employees will likely lose their jobs?
2. Will the appointees for the new agency positions be selected from the employees currently
filling positions at the 20 DHB's, and if not, why not?
3. Will any of the 20 DHB's remain 'as is' but be taken in under the umbrella of the new
agency? If so how many, and, which ones exactly, will this apply to?
Under reference H202105028 I received a response which read as follows:
"The questions you have asked are future focused and information in answer to these
questions has not been created. As such, your request has been refused under section 18(e)
of the Act as the information does not yet exist."
Taking into consideration that the NZ Herald reported that "The Government intends to make
appointments for positions in the new agency from the beginning of 2022" and that it is now
14 March 2022, the Ministry of Health is irrefutably in a position where my 21 April 2021
questions can now be answered.
All District Health Boards (DHBs) will be disestablished when the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures)
Bill comes into effect. The legislation contains provisions to transfer all DHB employees
(except Chief Executives) to Health New Zealand on their existing terms and conditions on
commencement of the legislation. Chief Executives may secure new roles within Health New
Zealand or the Māori Health Authority and will be subject to standard employment contract
provisions.
Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand 6011
4512557
64 4 817 9698 www.dpmc.govt.nz
We do not intend to publish this response on the Department of the Prime Minister and
Cabinet’s website.
Yours sincerely
Stephen McKernan QSO
Director, Health and Disability Review Transition Unit
4512557
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