Professor Lester Levy Appointed as Chair of Health New Zealand Board

“Professor Levy has extensive experience working in the health system and will provide strong leadership to Health NZ through a period of ongoing change,” said Dr. Reti.

Health Minister Dr. Shane Reti announced today that Professor Lester Levy has been appointed as a member and Chair of the Board of Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ).

“Professor Levy has extensive experience working in the health system and will provide strong leadership to Health NZ through a period of ongoing change,” said Dr. Reti.

Dr. Reti highlighted the challenges faced by Health NZ as a result of the poorly planned health reforms of the previous government, emphasizing the urgent need for further transformation. The appointment of Professor Levy as Chair follows the earlier appointments of a Crown observer and a new board member with specialist financial expertise, as part of the Government’s plan to stabilize Health NZ.

"The Labour government failed to acknowledge a health crisis and did not provide adequate oversight and support during a period of significant upheaval," Dr. Reti stated. This oversight failure led to considerable turbulence within Health NZ, especially concerning workforce issues where a strong frontline is essential.

Professor Levy is well-suited to address these challenges, given his background in leading organizational performance transformations in both the public and private sectors. As he takes up the role, there are positive signs regarding workforce improvements. Recent figures show a surge in nursing appointments under the current Government, with the nursing workforce growing by over 1,000 FTE so far in 2024, and the senior medical officer workforce increasing by more than 80 FTE. This follows an addition of almost 2,500 FTE nurses between December 2022 and December 2023.

“While nurse numbers are now generally tracking well, there is still work to be done in mental health, midwifery, and intensive care, as well as in primary and community care,” Dr. Reti noted. He acknowledged that the massive task of recruiting and employing these new workforces has resulted in shifting cost areas that Health NZ needs to address continuously.

Dr. Reti expects Health NZ and its leadership to prioritize funding from the recent Budget to target recruitment in areas with the highest frontline needs. The Government remains fully committed to ongoing and significant investment in health, aiming to deliver a system that meets the needs of New Zealanders by focusing on workforce, targets, infrastructure, and financial sustainability.

Dr. Reti thanked the health workforce for their hard work despite the challenges posed by the previous reforms. He also expressed gratitude to the outgoing Health NZ Chair, Dame Dr. Karen Poutasi, for her service on the Board.

Professor Lester Levy will assume his role for a two-year term starting 1 June 2024. Dr. Reti looks forward to the continued progress in improving the health system for all New Zealanders.