Tony Ryall

Wellington, Sept 8 NZPA - District health boards (DHBs) are going to share some appointed board members to strengthen collaboration, Health Minister Tony Ryall said today.

He said that over the next 15 months the Government would increase the number of appointed DHB members who would sit on more than one neighbouring board.

"Just as health services are enhanced with increasing clinical networking between hospitals, so health services can be improved by DHBs working more closely together," he said.

"This is particularly so in Auckland and Wellington but is also important with neighbouring DHBs in the regions."

Mr Ryall said having common members on neighbouring boards would help break down "silo thinking" and assist DHBs to have a better knowledge of each others' services and issues.

"It should also help to improve services through greater regional co-operation."

Mr Ryall said the Government was not going to forcibly merge DHBs.

"However, that does not mean we cannot take positive steps to bring our DHBs closer together."

The 21 DHBs oversee budgets from $100 million to more than $1 billion a year.

They are also carrying, in total, a deficit of about $160 million.