Wellington, May 14 NZPA - Hospital operator Wakefield Health Ltd has reported a 38.9 percent fall in annual earnings as softness in demand for private and government funded surgery persisted.

Wellington, April 29 NZPA - Health Minister Tony Ryall has introduced a bill to Parliament which he says represents a major drive for better value for money. The changes in the bill follow recommendations by the ministerial review group which reported earlier this year.

Wellington, Oct 29 NZPA - The Government will continue the Fruit in Schools programme but trim administration costs, Health Minister Tony Ryall says.

Wellington, Aug 7 NZPA - Wakefield Health Ltd said three directors were re-elected at its annual meeting and directors were authorised to fix the auditor's fees and expenses for the ensuing year. The re-elected directors were John Calder, Rick Christie and Warwick Webb.

Wellington, April 27 NZPA - Suspected swine flu cases were being monitored in Hamilton, Nelson and Otago, Health Minister Tony Ryall said today as more people waited for test results on the potentially deadly virus.

By Sharon Lundy of NZPA Wellington, April 1 NZPA - A District Health Board (DHB) chairman installed to replace the man under whose watch $16.9 million was stolen from the organisation says he would not have done anything differently to his predecessor.

Wellington, March 13 NZPA - One in 100 babies died before being a month old in 2006, a report shows.

Wellington, March 4 NZPA - A parliamentary committee has recommended spot checks of aged care facilities without notice and suggested changes to funding.