$17,156 costs for manager

The Southern District Health Board has released figures showing $17,156 of expenses relating to the first six months of the secondment of a senior Wellington health manager to assist the southern board's surgical department.

Joy Farley, of the National Health Board, incurred expenses of $15,287 for flights and $1869 for accommodation from mid-October to mid-April, figures released under the Official Information Act show.

Ms Farley's salary is paid by the National Health Board.

Ms Farley is charged with improving the performance of the board's surgical services, which are under pressure from a high number of urgent operations impeding delivery of elective procedures.

She remains service manager of the South Island neurosurgical service during her year-long secondment. Ms Farley's secondment to the southern board's area involves spending part of each week in Dunedin.eileen.goodwin@odt.co.nz