Media release from ProCare

ProCare commends the Auckland regional district health boards (DHBs) for recognising the inadequacies of the current community laboratory services, and we welcome the decision to shift some laboratory services to Diagnostic Medlab (DML).

This decision not only retains some highly skilled pathologists, scientists and other laboratory staff who work at DML for the betterment of the Auckland population, but also reduces the load and stress for Labtests so it can better focus on improving service to customers. In addition, by having two private laboratory providers within Auckland, the DHBs have a greater range of options to use in the future should they need them.

ProCare has been working diligently with Labtests and the DHBs to ensure our GPs, their staff and patients receive a safe, reliable and efficient lab service since Labtests took over the contract in August. While some improvements have been made, the level of service still remains well below what is contracted for and is certainly not at a level that we could accept for the remainder of the Labtests' contract.

Our GPs and nurses remain very frustrated by the service, and they continue to hold serious concerns regarding patient safety and their ability to provide quality care to their patients.

So today's announcement is not a panacea or a complete solution. We, as general practitioners, and our patients will continue to have Labtests, with its current deficiencies, as our laboratory provider. There is much to be done before Labtests can gain the confidence of general practice and patients.

Publicly available KPIs that will apply equally to both Labtests and DML will be combined with other service-related information to allow the community, the DHBs and health practitioners to assess the performance of the laboratories. We welcome this as a useful ongoing tool to monitor Labtests' performance.

ProCare will continue to put pressure on the DHBs and the laboratory providers to continue to remedy this position, and we will do whatever else is required until, by whatever means is necessary, a safe, efficient and secure laboratory service is provided for general practice and our patients.