A Southern District Health Board proposal to set up a Maori health "directorate" is an example of a "management fad" for reorganising staff, a Dunedin union organiser says.
Julie Morton, of the Public Service Association, said a proposal to put Maori health staff into their own division, rather than dotted through different areas, was part of an ongoing "cycle".
Southern DHB had limited resources to cover a big area and was prone to restructuring. There was a "constant fight" within the DHB to organise staff to best effect.
Ms Morton expected more restructuring in the wake of the National Health Board report, and the DHB's internal Putting the Patient First review.
Feelings were mixed among Maori health workers, of whom about six were PSA members.
"Some people have felt ... that it's a huge change, and they don't want to work there any more, and others think that it's quite OK," Ms Morton said.
Some members were offended by the proposal document which they felt suggested problems in services were their fault.
The union had adopted a hands-off approach, because members indicated they wanted to handle the process using Maori protocol.
Submissions on the restructuring proposal, led by Maori health general manager Donovan Clarke, were being considered, with a decision expected late this month or early next month, acting chief executive Lexie O'Shea told the Otago Daily Times.
The proposal involved disestablishing a small number of roles and creating new ones.
Mrs O'Shea said the proposals were within existing budgets. The proposal would see one extra full-time staff member, a regional project manager for Maori health.
The proposal went to staff in August, and initially, a decision was due in September, but the process was extended because of a high level of interest.
The proposal document said Maori health services were "very fragmented and operate within silos".
A new structure would allow improvements for Maori health to be pursued by "one cohesive service".
"Over the past 15 years, Maori services have been well developed in some areas and in others little work has been achieved.
"We have seen Maori-specific services downsized ... and become less a priority to other service areas."
The change would "regionalise Maori health services, reduce waste and bureaucracy", the document said.
