Hon Tony Ryall MP
National Party Health Spokesman

20 March 2007

Who is accountable for the Auckland lab mess?

Urgent action is needed to assure Aucklanders that their medical testing services will be maintained, says National's Health spokesman, Tony Ryall.

"The top priority is to keep good quality lab services in Auckland. But there's no way Auckland can rely on the people who caused this monumental muck-up to be the same people who fix it.

"The unprecedented ruling of the High Court today means Aucklanders face huge uncertainty about the future of medical testing.

"Auckland's health bosses have put patients and taxpayers at huge risk," says Mr Ryall.

"They have caused a colossal mess with lab testing in the region. Patients and doctors can't be certain what services will be available after 1 July. Nor can they be certain that the DHB's won't face huge liability claims from both the companies involved.

"The public wants accountability here.

"Assurances have been given all the way down the line from Mr Hodgson to Wayne Brown to the various DHB chief executives. They count for nothing.

"The contract was also signed by the Director General of Health Mr Stephen McKernan, when he was boss of Counties-Manukau DHB. Mr McKernan is now responsible for contracting in the multi-billion dollar health sector and his role in this will be under scrutiny as well.

"Urgent action is needed to get this situation sorted," says Mr Ryall.

ENDS

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