The Southern District Health Board is on track to post a smaller deficit than forecast this year, despite overruns in some areas, its chief finance official told it yesterday.
Funding and finance general manager Robert Mackway-Jones said the board posted a $1.7 million deficit for the financial year so far, to November, $2.6 million better than forecast.
It was on track for a deficit of about $12 million, rather than $14.9 million, although that projection was "full of assumptions".
The big saving was in unfilled jobs in management, administration, nursing and mental health.
An extra $900,000 funding for elective surgery because the board carried out more procedures than it budgeted for in 2009-10 was a "plus", Mr Mackway-Jones said.
Lower capital costs because of delays in capital spending also helped.
Rest-home subsidy costs were over budget, as were clinical supplies, and "doubtful debts" had increased.
The budget prompted little discussion from board members, but it probably cropped up again behind closed doors, because one of the items on the public-excluded part of the meeting was the board's financial recovery plan.
