COVID-19 governance snapshot

22 April 2020

Jenny Black

Nelson Marlborough District Health Board Chair
Health Promotion Agency Chair
Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors

Describe what your last month has looked like?

Although the DHB is an essential service, I’m not an essential worker so I’ve been doing everything virtually from home. Other than that, the role doesn’t change. Board meetings have continued, virtually and probably a bit shorter than before. I’m not travelling and that gives me a whole lot more time to concentrate on the issues. I’m checking in with both my CEO’s every couple of days by phone and having a video conference with them once a week, usually with my deputy as well.

What are the critical things you’re dealing with right now?

Because health is the lead agency, we’re working with other community leaders who are used to working in that emergency space in Nelson Marlborough to ensure things like welfare, mental health and homelessness are addressed. The fact that we had the Pigeon Valley fire last year – some of these relationships formed then, and so we haven’t had to start from scratch. For me, one of the acute things is my duty of care to staff health and safety. I’m doing a lot more of that than I would at other times. It’s about making sure they are really well looked after and making sure people get their down time. COVID hasn’t hit us yet, and it may not, but there is an awful lot of training and preparation taken place, and senior leaders working incredibly long hours.

As governors we have to be very careful that we keep our eye on the basics. We need to keep on top of financial planning and we’re in the thick of our annual planning. It’s very easy to be fixated on the here and now but there is a future, even though we don’t know what it looks like right now.

Planning on the new Nelson Hospital – there are deadlines that need to be met on that. To me that’s the role of a governor, when everyone else is focused on COVID – we need to make sure we question quite regularly what’s happening with the basics. We cannot afford to slow down on this.

What’s your biggest concerns as NZ moves towards coming out of lockdown

There are two aspects to this. The learnings from what we have done differently and must capture and continue with - the new normal. Plus what we must get back up and running that will ensure our population receives the health care it needs. There have been people with procedures they haven’t received ie. scans, surgeries - we must make sure their health doesn’t deteriorate.

What opportunities do you see emerging from COVID?

The new normal will look at lot different to pre COVID. People have had a lot more virtual access to primary health services. That will continue and it will be interesting to watch. Hopefully there’s some health education that will stay with people. Things like not going to work and school with a cold or sniffles, not going to see your GP unless you really need to, social distancing and not travelling round so much. People are going to re-evaluate what’s important to them.

What lessons can directors take from the COVID crisis?

We often talk about planning for the future or business interruption. One of the most important things are your relationships. If the relationships are in place beforehand, you’re going to go into it and come out the other side in a far better way than you would otherwise.

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