NZMA welcomes significant laboratory decision

NEW ZEALAND MEDICAL ASSOCIATION MEDIA RELEASE

FROM: Dr Ross Boswell, Chairman NZMA

DATE: Tuesday, 20 March 2007

SUBJECT: NZMA welcomes significant laboratory decision

The New Zealand Medical Association has welcomed the judge’s decision in the judicial review regarding Auckland community laboratory services, in that it confirms the NZMA’s long-standing concerns about the processes being followed.

“This is an extremely important decision,” said NZMA Chairman Dr Ross Boswell. “The NZMA has believed all along that the process of reviewing laboratory services has been inadequate, not just in Auckland but all over New Zealand.

“Since 2004 the NZMA has been calling for a national policy framework to be put in place for the 21 DHBs which have been carrying out reviews of laboratory services, and making significant changes to suppliers in some cases.”

Dr Boswell said it was highly significant, in this case, that the judge had recognised the importance of ensuring good processes and transparency in the area of conflicts of interest.

It is of particular significance to the New Zealand health system overall that the requirement to consult doctors and patients on significant changes to the services delivered to them has been strengthened by this judgement.

“The DHBs involved appear now to recognise the wider implications of this decision in respect of contracting processes. Applying strictly corporate processes to decisions in health is often inappropriate.”

“We have a pathology service that runs well and serves the population of New Zealand very capably,” Dr Boswell said. “This is being put at risk by the Government’s short-sighted reviews of services which have been carried out without a comprehensive national policy framework, and seem only designed to save money.”

Dr Boswell said poor review processes had put the pathology workforce at risk.
“The pathology service is already under-staffed in New Zealand, and decisions that are being made will have the effect of driving pathologists away from New Zealand, to countries where they can have much more certainty about their jobs,” Dr Boswell said.

ENDS

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