Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the Government wanted to “move quickly” to intervene in the leadership crisis at Canterbury’s health board.

Speaking at Friday’s 1pm Covid-19 update, Ardern said she understood Minister of Health Chris Hipkins spoke to Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) chair Sir John Hansen on Thursday when news broke about the resignation of a further two senior executive team members.

“We are working very hard to play a constructive role. There are clearly issues that need to be addressed.”

Ardern’s comments come after seven of the 11-strong CDHB executive management team resigned within the last month.

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News of the latest two resignations – executive director of nursing and facilities management lead Mary Gordon and chief digital officer Stella Ward –came during a board meeting on Thursday.

They followed the earlier resignations of chief executive David Meates, people officer Michael Frampton, funding and decision support executive director Carolyn Gullery, chief financial operator Justine White, and chief medical officer and leader of the region’s Covid-19 response Sue Nightingale.

During the meeting, about 200 Christchurch Hospital staff protested outside the CDHB corporate offices to make it known they blamed the board for the resignations.

A statement issued by Hipkins’ office following Adern’s Friday update said the health minister was “having ongoing conversations with the DHB chair”.

“He has no further comment at this stage.”

Ardern said the Government wanted to play a constructive role in resolving the issues.

“We do know we need to move quickly.”

In a publicly excluded session on Thursday, the CDHB and Crown monitor Lester Levy discussed and voted to approve the draft annual plan for 2020-21 to cut $56.9 million from the deficit of about $180m.

The vote was not unanimous, with board members Jo Kane, Andy Dickerson and Naomi Marshall voting against.

In an email to staff on Friday afternoon, Hansen said the expected deficit for 2020-21 would be $145m, with the planned savings.

“While this will be challenging, we believe it is achievable and as we’ve seen time and time again this organisation has demonstrated its ability to deliver,” he said.

“We now know what we are all aiming to achieve.”

Hansen previously said the board would not go ahead with anything that would require a reduction in health services for the people of Canterbury.

Last week he told Stuff he did not know the personal motivations behind the senior executive resignations but said at least three had other very senior roles to go to.

He would not comment on why Meates had resigned.

Nightingale told RNZ’s Nine to Noon an “adversarial” approach by the board to management was behind her decision to quit.

She said it would be very hard for the organisation to tolerate the large and sudden void of experience and leadership.

“It is very hard and I really think the ministry and the Government should be worried.”