Auckland, Sept 9 NZPA - Taking on a new contractor for medical laboratory testing in Auckland is proving extremely frustrating, with some patients not receiving appropriate care, says the New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA).

The association's comments come in a week in which former provider Diagnostic Medlab (DML) re-ignited its row with successor Labtests by sending a videotape of patient complaints to media.

DML lost its battle to hold on to its contract with the Auckland, Waitemata and Counties Manukau district health boards (DHBs) this year, when the Supreme Court ruled in Labtests' favour.

NZMA chairman Peter Foley said the association's Auckland members had become used to a high standard of laboratory service and the present situation was unacceptable.

"There is quite extreme frustration being expressed at the problems they are encountering as the new arrangements are progressively introduced," he said.

"Frankly, the level of service reported to the NZMA is unacceptable in many respects, resulting in a number of patients not receiving appropriate care when they need it."

Dr Foley said at least one major Auckland primary health organisation was so concerned it was committing extra funding to get the needed care from elsewhere.

He said this was another unplanned cost to a fragile health system.

The NZMA acknowledged there was a transition process underway and that some issues could be resolved in time.

However, it had pointed out to successive governments and the DHBs that the transition was a critical time and carried substantial risk of services being jeopardised.

"We were assured that planning and contractual arrangements would be adequate to ensure both quality and continuity of the service," Dr Foley said.

"Sadly, our fears are being realised, and the problems which have emerged have caused a serious loss of confidence in the service and those that made the original decision."

Dr Foley said "the reassuring messages" from the DHBs and Labtests did not tally with what doctors and patients were reporting.

He called on Health Minister Tony Ryall to urgently instigate an independent review to monitor the situation and to recommend any changes.

Several days ago DML hired a personal relations firm to interview patients outside Labtests' new collection centres.

Twenty-five patients were asked about the services they received and seven negative responses were edited together and released to media.

Labtests chief executive Ulf Lindskog responded to the videotape by saying his firm was focusing on its own services and it was up to DML what it did.

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