Eileen Goodwin

Richard Thomson was considered for the role of chairman of the embattled Southern District Health Board, papers released under the Official Information Act show.

Board members were gagged from speaking about the Southern District Health Board's funding shortfall, sacked board member Neville Cook says.

The aged care gender pay case may be about to take a major turn, as the Government wants to settle out of court.

The Health Minister is considering installing a commissioner to sort out the financially-troubled Southern District Health Board.

Community ''victories'' in health service campaigns have been blamed for contributing to the Southern District Health Board's financial failure.

Dunedin Hospital has lost the right to train orthopaedic surgeons for the coming year, prompting a warning that surgical trainees may have to go elsewhere.

Dunedin North MP Dr David Clark has been accused of trying to ''hijack'' tomorrow's health march in Oamaru, and has been denied speaking rights after refusing to accept a condition not to criticise the Government.

The Southern District Health Board says it is still pondering whether to change the name of the Isis Centre, in Dunedin, five months after it said it was considering the matter.

''Shocking'' new figures showing per-person district health board income throughout New Zealand should prompt a rethink of health funding, Dunedin North MP Dr David Clark says.

Gaining more transparency around the health funding formula is ''crucial'' for determining whether the South is starved of health funds, University of Otago health system authority Prof Robin Gauld says.

A leading critic of the health sector says removing the ''veneer of democracy'' from district health boards might not be a bad idea.

Southern District Health Board hospital staff have the cleanest hands in the country.

The Southern District Health Board is revamping the chief medical officer role after the departure of Dr David Tulloch.

Sacked Southern District Health Board member Dr John Chambers has lashed out at the ''cloud cuckoo land'' ideas he believes are causing a delay in planning the Dunedin Hospital rebuild.

Richard Thomson says he would not have accepted the role as deputy commissioner of the Southern District Health Board without a ''very clear assurance'' from the Health Minister that it was not a ''slash and burn'' exercise.

After she was diagnosed with breast cancer, Ros Day-Cleavin was whisked through the surgical, radiation and chemotherapy services at Dunedin Hospital.

The southernmost change bells in the world had their 40th anniversary marked at the weekend.