A statement from the company that owns and operates Oamaru Hospital released yesterday afternoon said Mr Swann had opted to vacate the role he had held since January 2017, when he replaced retired Oamaru lawyer George Berry.
That included his role as a company director, a title he had held since 2007, to concentrate on "personal business interests''.
Speaking to the Otago Daily Times yesterday, Mr Swann said the time was right to step aside after a two and a-half year period of ongoing change at the hospital, which included the completion of a joint review of the district's health services carried out with the Southern District Health Board in late 2016, and more recently the controversial proposal for change review.
"I think it's a logical break point. It was a logical time for someone else to come in and work through some planning ... on things like the healthcare hub, for example. You want someone that's going to be able to come in and carry that through.''
It brings to an end an at times tumultuous tenure, during which there have been calls for him to resign over the perceived handling of the proposal for change, which included a staffing restructuring and the reconfiguration of the hospital's layout, which had earlier raised the ire of many in the district concerned about the possible effect on services, staff numbers, clinical safety and how it was communicated to staff and the public.
Mr Swann said calls for him to stand aside did not affect his decision.
"My belief is the proposal for change is very, very positive for the Waitaki community. I believe the majority of people are behind it and can see the merits in it. There was a small number of voices that were against it, but that was definitely not part of my consideration.''
Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher praised Mr Swann, but accepted he had endured "increasingly difficult'' times in recent years.
"Oamaru Hospital has had to go through changes to a new model of care which fits the more modern way particularly rural hospitals are operated around the Southern DHB area.
"That I think has made things more problematic during his tenure as chair. It hasn't been an easy time for anyone, to be honest.''
He said discussions would be held with councillors and other board members about any potential replacement before the director appointment process started in September.
