DHB chairman: Labtests 'lied' to DHBs 

Source: ONE News

Auckland's new medical laboratory provider Labtests lied to district health boards (DHBs) about its safety systems, doctors angry at issues with the service were told on Tuesday night.

"They led us to believe they had a quality and safety system in place from the outset," Counties Manukau DHB chairman Gregor Coster said on Wednesday.

"It proved not to be the case. Frankly they lied to us."

Prof Coster apologised to the GPs for Labtests' continuing underperformance, but added that the service had improved, the New Zealand Herald reported.

Doctors at the meeting said problems included misdiagnosis, slow turn-around times for results, unusual results and difficulty speaking with a pathologist.

Labtests was not invited to last night's meeting and later said it "steadfastly refutes Coster's allegations".

"At all times the DHBs had full and detailed oversight of Labtests' operations."

Labtests took over the contract for the testing of blood and other samples for the Auckland, Waitemata and Counties-Manukau DHBs in August.

Labtests won the eight-year $560 million contact after a legal battle with incumbent Diagnostic MedLab (DML) but had since faced criticism, including from doctors, over its performance.

Last month, the DHBs took over the quality control of the laboratory testing and said Diagnostic Medlab would resume about 10 percent of services for four years.

About 60 doctors attended last night's meeting and a resolution of no confidence in Labtests was passed with 59 votes in favour and one against.

Organiser Carmel Built said a further 97 proxy votes included 80 of no confidence, 13 expressing confidence and four of limited confidence.

An independent report into Labtests' workforce capability said the company appeared to be excluding the input and leadership of its medical director, pathologist Richard Lloydd.

The report's author Ian Beer described staffing in Labtests collection centres and lab as "light", but said it was coping by bringing in locums or exporting histology slides to sister lab, Southern Community Laboratories in the South Island.

He also noted the lack of experienced staff working as technicians, scientists and phlebotomists as well as some "cumbersome" processes putting pressure on the lab.

Beer said he was satisfied the lab would meet New Zealand standards in March 2010 and was impressed by the company's facilities.