Health Minister Annette King said today the interviewing process was well underway to appoint extra directors to Hospital and Health Service boards in the transition to the new health system.

About 200 people were being interviewed over the next month to select directors who would broaden the focus of the boards as they moved toward becoming district health boards (DHBs), she said. The interviewing panels were made up of a mix of officials from the Ministry of Health, Crown Company Monitoring Advisory Unit and Maori and Pacific people.

"We received close to 2000 high-quality nominations from people interested in making a contribution to the publicly funded health system. Now we have to ensure we get people with the right mix of skills, attributes and experience to help boards broaden their focus. Officials will also soon be writing to inform people who have not been shortlisted."

Mrs King said she expected the additional directors to be appointed and working by the end of July. "I realise the process is taking longer than we had originally anticipated, but that reflects the high volume and calibre of nominations, and also reflects a comprehensive consultation process regarding the shortlisting process within the Government.

"I am very happy with progress and the approach, which I believe will strengthen the existing system and help make the transition to DHBs a success."

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