District Health Boards Report Small Deficit

District Health Board Financial Statistics: September 2005 quarter

District Health Boards Report Small Deficit

The combined operating deficit of New Zealand's 21 district health boards (DHBs) was $4.9 million for the September 2005 quarter, Statistics New Zealand said today. A surplus of $1.0 million was recorded in the June 2005 quarter, while the deficit in the September 2004 quarter was $15.3 million.

Total DHB expenditure rose by $70.7 million (3.2 percent) to $2,278.0 million between the June 2005 and September 2005 quarters. The two major components of expenditure for the most recent quarter were the direct provision of public hospital and health services (HHS), at $1,288.2 million, and the purchase of medical services from non-government providers and inter-DHB services, at $978.8 million. The total operating expenses of the HHS providers were 2.2 percent lower than in the June 2005 quarter, but 9.7 percent higher when compared with the September 2004 quarter. Employee costs, the key expense item, was up 0.6 percent (to $814.6 million) compared with the June 2005 quarter.

Total DHB revenue rose to $2,273.1 million, with funding from the Ministry of Health, increasing by $36.0 million (to $1,898.5 million) compared with the June 2005 quarter.

Brian Pink

Government Statistician

ENDS

There is a companion Hot Off The Press information release published – District Health Board Financial Statistics: September 2005 quarter.

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