Stella Ward follows top executives out the CDHB door

Canterbury District Health Board chief digital officer Stella Ward and its director of nursing Mary Gordon have joined five other top executives, including CEO David Meates, in resigning from the health service.

Chief medical officer COVID-19 response leader Sue Nightingale resigned late last week, along with HR boss Michael Frampton, funding and decision support executive director Carolyn Gullery and finance head Justine White.

Senior clinicians had warned Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern last month that the health service could implode, saying they lacked confidence in the board.

The health service has a deficit of $180 million that the board insists must be reduced, but unions fear this will come at the cost of clinical staff and services.

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