Ministry of Health critical projects director Michael Hundleby is understood to be on gardening leave.

A senior health official in charge of major hospital redevelopments in Christchurch, Greymouth and Dunedin is understood to be on 'gardening leave'.

NZ Doctor magazine last week reported Ministry of Health critical projects director Michael Hundleby was on gardening leave, associated with "relationship problems and capital projects".

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Maarten Holl Former Director-General of Health Chia Chuah (pictured), who resigned in December, and Michael Hundleby have worked together for years.

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Hundleby's ministry role saw him oversee several major hospital redevelopments, including those in Christchurch, Greymouth and Dunedin. Before that, he was acting national director of the National Health Board.

It is understood Hundleby did not attend a meeting of the Southern Partnership Group on June 26.

John Kirk-Anderson CHHB chief executive David Meates, former Health Minister Jonathan Coleman, Burwood Project Director Bryan Spinks, and Michael Hundleby during a visit to Burwood Hospital in 2015.

As director of critical projects for the ministry, Hundleby attended meetings of the group, set up to oversee and deliver the redevelopment of Dunedin Hospital.

Minutes from the previous meeting, on May 29, list him in attendance.

The ministry was asked to confirm Hundleby was on leave, the nature of his leave, whether an investigation was underway, and who was overseeing the rebuild of Christchurch Hospital buildings in his absence.

A spokesman said the ministry did not comment on employment matters relating to individual employees.

However, it said the ministry "continues to meet its commitments in terms of participation and attending meetings".

CLOSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TOP MINISTRY OFFICIALS

It comes just months after the resignation of former Director-General of Health Chai Chuah.

​Chuah worked closely with Hundleby at the ministry and, prior to that, at the Canterbury and Hutt Valley district health boards (DHBs).

Chuah came under fire for a $38 million budget blunder in June 2016 before resigning in December.

There has been a widely reported legacy of bad blood between the Canterbury DHB and both Chuah and Hundleby.

Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Ian Powell said in his view he got on well with Hundleby on a personal level, but was acutely aware that district health board staff "found him very abrasive".

Powell said Hundleby had never developed a trust relationship with district health boards, or realised the importance of doing so.

Health Minister Dr David Clark told Stuff he was "not aware of any particular issues".

Hundleby declined to comment when phoned by Stuff.

Hundleby was legal counsel for the Canterbury DHB in the early 2000s, when Chuah was acting chief executive. Chuah moved to run Hutt Valley DHB in 2002 after not getting the permanent role, with Hundleby following soon after when his Canterbury role was disestablished.

After Chuah was appointed ministry Director-General in 2013, the State Services Commission investigated allegations the pair incorrectly received a total of $91,000 of "acting-up pay" (a temporary pay rise for taking on extra responsibility) during 2000 and 2001.

﻿The commission cleared Chuah, who was the subject of the probe, while Hundleby was exonerated in statements.

In 2015, then Labour health spokeswoman Dame Annette King told Stuff she had "no doubt from what I've seen, and been told, and letters I've received, that there is an old, ongoing, nastiness – that Canterbury has faced an attitude problem from the MoH, led by the Director-General [Chuah]".

In 2016, CDHB intensive care specialist Geoff Shaw laid a complaint with the ministry about comments made by Hundleby during a meeting in August 2015, in which Hundleby said he had "not received any information that the emergency department is under pressure". An Official Information Act request later found Hundleby was copied in to several emails raising emergency department issues.

Then CDHB chairman Murray Cleverley forwarded Shaw's complaint to Ministry of Health director-general Chai Chuah, saying it alleged "serious misconduct" and required an independent investigation.

Chuah sought advice from the State Services Commission, and a $13,000 investigation through Dundas Street Employment Lawyers was launched.

The investigation found the complaint could not be "substantiated on the balance of probabilities".