Board chief executive Brian Rousseau said yesterday there was a need for continuing discussions with all those involved on the various options.
He did not know when the board would be in a position to reach a decision.
"It's not something that's going to happen in weeks".
Board members recognised that planning for health services in the Wakatipu area must also involve closer collaboration with Central Otago, he said.
Yesterday's discussion of the report from the clinical advisory group on alternative ways of providing health services in the Wakatipu was held behind closed doors.
Questioned on the need for this secrecy, Mr Rousseau said any change would affect some board employees and there could also be contractual obligations involved.
He agreed, however, that the board was some considerable way from such changes.
The special clinical advisory group, led by Prof John Campbell, explored various options last year but could not reach consensus.
The majority favoured a model which would combine the medical workforces of Dunstan Hospital at Clyde and Lakes District Hospital at Frankton, under a Central Otago governance structure.
The group also wanted better detail on the costs of the existing model and costing of a proposal to combine Queenstown Medical Centre with Lakes District emergency department on a new site.
Mr Rousseau said after yesterday's meeting that board members had " absolutely recognised" that integrated care involving community and hospital services was needed and that all involved needed to work together.
The various models would have to be costed and the way found to provide the " best possible service" given funding constraints.
Mr Rousseau said he considered the clinical advisory group's report had been a useful exercise, and now it was "really important" to have all providers involved in any decisions made.
Asked about the ongoing concerns over the cost of delivering the service under the existing Lakes District Hospital set-up, Mr Rousseau said, "Yes, it is still costing us, but at the end of the day we want something that really works."
It would be wrong for the board to try to impose anything.
"We need to work with the people to arrive at a solution."
