Public says no to change of lab group

The public have delivered a thumbs-down to the switch to a new community laboratory company in Auckland, surveys suggest.

More than 4000 people responded to a survey on laboratory services as part of an exercise by the region's three health boards to consult stakeholders and the public.

Of 1200 who responded to questions of whether there should be one - or more - community laboratory providers, many

criticised the DHBs' dumping of incumbent contractor Diagnostic Medlab (DML) in favour of tender winner Labtests Auckland. The switchover will occur in September.

"This generated considerable, and in some cases heated, feedback," said a 112-page report on the consultation findings, obtained by the Herald yesterday under the Official Information Act.

"Many respondents, particularly those who attended GP and public meetings, expressed strong opposition to there being more than one service provider, and a strong preference for that service provider to be DML."

The boards began the exercise in response to the High Court decision - later overturned by the Court of Appeal - which had rejected the contract with Labtests and faulted the DHBs for a failure to consult primary health organisations (PHOs).

Susan Turner, chief executive of the Harbour Health PHO, which took part in the court cases, said that Auckland PHOs and general practitioners retained strong confidence in DML and maintained the disruption of changing to Labtests was unwarranted.

But the decision had been made. "We are focused on making the best of whatever the opportunity is now."

The consultation also confirmed major concerns about the laboratory workforce, including the declining number of pathologists working in New Zealand and low morale linked to pay and to the instability caused by the switch to Labtests.

The boards say they will use the consultation findings in their "future deliberations on laboratory services delivery".

THE SURVEY
* 8019 emails; 12 meetings; 5 focus groups; 247 submissions; 4425 responses to survey on website or through research company "panel" of Aucklanders