Losing lab turns camera on rival 

Source: ONE News

• WATCH the video (2:45)

The three-year fight for Auckland's medical lab service is officially over with the $70 million annual contract handed over to new players Labtests on Monday.

However, the losing bidder, Diagnostic Medlab, has given ONE News what they claim is video evidence proving Labtests are botching it up and risking patient safety.

The video is the latest skirmish in what has been a dirty war for the Auckland lab contract.

A few days ago, Diagnostic Medlab, or DML, who lost the bid, went out and hired a public relations firm to stand outside Labtests new collection centres, going up to members of the public and interviewing them as they left having had their blood tests.

They have edited several patient complaints together and sent them to ONE News. Some say it's dirty tactics and a sign of desperation. DML though is unrepentant.

Patients had a litany of complaints, two describing the service as "disgusting" and "completely unprofessional".

There is five edited minutes of criticism from seven patients, painting a picture of a Labtests service in disarray.

"The wait in there is huge. They were saying there was about a 50 minute wait," says one patient.

It's evidence, DML says, which proves the district health boards have backed the wrong horse.

Diagnostic Medlab Chief Executive Arthur Morris was asked what was the aim of the filming exercise.

"Well, people have got to know what the reality is," he says.

And Morris makes no apologies for the filming.

"If there's no story how can there be dirty tricks? People just told it as they saw it," he says.

Labtests is not keen to wade into the issue.

"We are focussing on the service and whatever DML do, that's up to themselves," says Ulf Lindskog, Labtests chief executive.

But the DHBs accept some public criticism.

"They'd be giving us a four or five out of 10 at this stage... and we accept that and are dealing with it very straightforwardly," says Pat Snedden, Auckland DHB chairman.

They say DML's tactics are no longer relevant - the decision is made and there is no going back.

"This is not going to be done by people standing off and throwing darts at the process," says Snedden.

It's a process which the DHBs promise will deliver a safe patient service.

Though some are yet to be won over.

"Just not organised. Not good enough," says a patient.

DML is vowing to not give up. It has now sent a dossier of GP gripes to Health Minister Tony Ryall.

The tape paints a totally one-sided view. ONE News asked the PR firm who DML hired to do the filming whether they interviewed any patients who were happy with the service they received from Labtests or had a neutral view.

They replied that they filmed 25 people in all, one quarter of whom did say positive things about the service from Labtests. However it appears that those happy customer comments all ended up on the cutting room floor.