The Office of the Ombudsman has decided no action needs to be taken on the Hawke's Bay District Health Board's (DHB) controversial handling of a diabetes contract.
Dr Janet Titchener's contract with the DHB, to treat patients and educate clinicians at a cost of $150,000 for one year, was not renewed after a review said it was not good value for money and was supplementary, rather than an alternative, to existing services.
Dr Titchener is a General Practitioner with a Special Interest (GPSI) in diabetes.
Lobby group Put Patients First campaigned to have the service kept because of the loyal following of past patients but the DHB said good results were also being gained from other services that were more cost effective and integrated with wider health services.
When hearing news the contract would not be renewed lobby group Put Patients First said the DHB's chief executive, Dr Kevin Snee, was not prepared to first listen to patients before axing health services.