Government ministers sacked Mr Thomson as Otago District Health Board chairman, in 2009, and then yesterday as a Southern District Health Board member.
Given the history, he was initially surprised to be approached by Health Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman to talk about the board's problems.
It was before the commissioner prospect was signalled to the board last month.
''This is a different minister. He has a different set of priorities and a different way of looking at things.''
Dr Coleman had been ''very clear'' with Mr Thomson he ''wasn't concerned with what had happened before [in 2009]''.
''It doesn't help much to go back into history,'' Mr Thomson said.
By law, commissioner Kathy Grant appoints her deputies, as part of her prerogative as commissioner.
Mr Thomson said the sacked board had had to take an ''all consuming'' short-term deficit focus. In contrast, the commissioner team was able to take a long-term view, and investigate and analyse the problem closely.
''[Dr Coleman] understands that this is not a problem that can be sorted out in a short period of time.''
Working in an ''executive director kind of role'' with management, the commissioner team would spend the next 15 months working out a long-term plan of five years or so.
Their work would finish at the 2016 district health board elections.
''I wasn't interested in doing it if this was a slash and burn, go in and sort the whole thing out in six months ... kind of thing.''
Mr Thomson said he would keep an open mind on all possibilities, but he did not think removing neurosurgery from Dunedin would make clinical or financial sense.
