Mr Menzies said he would watch with interest a suggestion advertising could be sold on Auckland's Middlemore Hospital. He was not opposed to the idea.
''We have jokingly talked about some things like that,'' he said, referring to the board.
''We're certainly open to maximising our income, and we don't have many opportunities for that.
''It will be interesting to see how Counties Manukau go. And if it catches on, maybe their advertisers would come looking at us, too.''
Health Minister Tony Ryall was less than enthusiastic when asked for comment this week.
''Frankly, I don't think there's a lot of money in this for DHBs. It won't fix anyone's deficit. And I don't think much will come of it,'' he said through a spokeswoman.
''Even'' the Ronald McDonald House facilities posed difficulties, over fast food qualms. Ethical ''pitfalls'' were not confined to unhealthy food and drink.
''Imagine if we're advertising a finance company that went down the tube? You've got to be very careful.''
Asked if the public should expect to see billboards on Dunedin Hospital in the next couple of years, he said:''I wouldn't discount the possibility'', emphasising it would be the board's decision, and nothing was on the table yet.
The board expects to post a $12.5 million deficit this financial year.
University of Otago health systems authority Prof Robin Gauld said health boards were under considerable financial pressure, and he could not blame them for trying to raise revenue. Boards would need to draw up a code of ethics to regulate the advertising before proceeding, he suggested.
A discussion about the public health sector, and whether it should carry advertisements, was timely given this year's 75th anniversary of the Social Security Act, he said.
