The $11,300 digital device bill that sparked a system change at Southern District Health Board was incurred over a 12-day period when the staff member was on holiday, the board has disclosed.
The Otago Daily Times reported the large bill last month, but the health board refused to disclose the number of days over which it occurred, saying it had made its ‘‘final statements''on the matter.
It confirmed further information this month in response to an Official Information Act request.
But chief executive Carole Heatly has stuck by an initial refusal to disclose whether the person, described as a ‘‘senior clinician'', is also a member of the board's executive management team.
‘‘This information is being withheld under section 9(2)(a) of the Official Information Act, in order to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased natural persons,'' Ms Heatly said in a written response.
The person, who was overseas, was not engaged in clinical work when they incurred the bill, Ms Heatly said.
Asked if staff were expected to continue working while on holiday, Ms Heatly said they were not.
‘‘It is the choice of the individual if they decide to or not.''
A ‘‘series of circumstances'' meant the staff member did not receive an email warning them about their data use approaching $1000.
The board has installed an automatic switch-off after $1000 data usage to stop the problem recurring.
The board blamed staff absences at both the health board and at service provider Spark for the lapse.
The staff member opted to pay the bill out of their own pocket, but was reimbursed by the board after an investigation, the ODT reported last month.
The board's annual budget for mobile devices is $513,000.
