Many of the more than 13,000 people who signed a petition calling for the Southern District Health Board to reinstate two dropped home-care support providers did not understand what they were signing, board member Neville Cook says.
Mr Cook, of Invercargill, made the claim when contacted to ask if he was standing again for the board in the October election. Mr Cook and Mary Flannery, of Central Otago, said they would stand again. Kaye Crowther, of Invercargill, said she would ''probably'' stand. Deputy chairman Paul Menzies, of Invercargill, and Dr Malcolm Macpherson, of Alexandra, said they were not standing again. Both said they had made their contribution and it was time to move on.
Richard Thomson, of Dunedin, and Dr Branko Sijnja, of Balclutha, were undecided.
Board members were asked if the board's decision to overlook Presbyterian Support Otago (PSO) and Disabilities Resource Centre Southland in favour of an Australian-owned entity in its shake-up of home-based services could affect their re-election prospects.
Mr Cook said many people signed the petition under a misapprehension.
''Many of them signed it on the understanding that all the carers were going to lose their jobs, for a start off.''
Asked if those who signed might object to basic social service provision transferring to an Australian-owned entity, he said Royal District Nursing Service NZ was a New Zealand-registered company.
''The parent company might be in Australia, but it's actually a wholly owned New Zealand company and a not-for-profit, the same as PSO.''
The 13,044-signature petition was presented to the health board at its meeting last month, at which PSO made an unsuccessful appeal to board members.
University of Otago health system authority Prof Robin Gauld said he suspected there would be some fallout for members seeking re-election, as the issue had been close to many people's hearts.
''I imagine anyone who's voted for this will be viewed a little dimly by the public in Dunedin.''
Prof Gauld said while boards were mostly elected, with a few ministerial appointees, they represented the Government's interests rather than voters'.
''That's what the legislation says - they're not there to represent the public's interest.''
The only accountability was the election every three years, in which, mostly, the public had little interest, he said.
The ODT also asked Timaru-based chairman Joe Butterfield if he expected to be appointed for another three-year term by Health Minister Tony Ryall.
''It's his call, in the finish.
''We've had some discussions, but we haven't reached any conclusions.''
