GPS efficiency drive for Health Board

Otago District Health Board short-term loan equipment storeman James Bryan at the Wakari Hospital transport office shows one of the 200 GPS data loggers installed in board vehicles to help analyse vehicle use. Photo by Gregor Richardson.

From the start of this month, global positioning system (GPS) data loggers are being used for five weeks in the board's 186 leased vehicles and the 14 it owns.

Board group manager of diagnostic and support services Sonja Dillon said the cost of the survey was an estimated $40,000 to $50,000.

It was expected the survey findings could lead to a reduction in fleet costs of between 10% and 20% - more than $100,000 a year.

Ms Dillon said installing the GPS loggers to show vehicle use patterns, rather than have staff manually recording vehicle use, would assist with collation and interpretation of the information.

The data loggers were leased and once the five weeks was over they would be used by another district health board, she said.

Ms Dillon said staff had been informed about the survey before it began and there had been little comment.

The board was assessing vehicle use and vehicle allocation across all departments.

This year, more than $2.5 million is budgeted for transport for board services and to the end of January this was one area where the board was under budget by almost $150,000.

Last year, the board stepped up its shuttle service for people travelling between Wakari and Dunedin Hospitals in an effort to reduce spending on taxis.

When it was introduced last September it was hoped it might save up to $60,000 over a full year.

Regional building and property services manager Warren Taylor said he had received positive comments about the improved service.

elspeth.mclean@odt.co.nz