Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

The Otago and Southland district health boards are merging their food services next year, in a move they say will improve service and save money.

The boards already share a chief executive and services such as IT, human resources and laboratory testing, and are consulting the public about merging fully.

With food services combined, patient menus will be the same at all Otago and Southland hospitals. About half the food will be prepared at Dunedin Hospital, including food like stews and soups that can be frozen for transport and safely reheated.

Invercargill and Queenstown hospitals will still prepare vegetables, salads, desserts and oven-baked foods on-site.