Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:42p.m.
Labtests says five of the 20 pathologists listed on its website are not yet formally registered to practice in New Zealand because they have not yet arrived for their final face-to-face interviews with Medical Council staff.
Australian-based Labtests - owned by Healthscope - recently took over the multi-million dollar contract to provide lab services in the Auckland region from Diagnostic Medlab, another Australian company.
The other 15 pathologists listed on the Labtests' website are fully registered, but Healthscope chief medical director Dr Michael Coglin told NZPA the five coming from overseas had been through most of their pre-registration checks by the council, and each had been issued with a registration number.
The Medical Council earlier today urged Auckland's new laboratory tests provider to be clear about the registration status of the pathologists on its website.
"They have applied for registration but haven't had their final interview," council chair John Campbell said in a statement to the New Zealand Doctor magazine.
"I think Labtests need to make it quite clear what the status of the people listed on their website is. The sooner that's remedied, the better," Professor Campbell said.
Tonight Dr Coglin said some interpretations being placed on the listings - that the doctors were in New Zealand and practicing without full registration - were "mischievous and quite outrageous".
"There is nothing unusual, sinister or deceptive here," he said.
Registration did not take effect until the doctor could physically meet a council representative for their final face-to-face interview.
New Zealand should actually be celebrating that the company had been able to recruit five pathologists from overseas - including Australia - to increase the numbers in this country, he suggested.
"This is actually a cause for celebration that we've been able to recruit these people," he said.
The controversial switch and the new group's services have been heavily criticised, doctors and patients reporting delays in getting tests and results.
The company brought in new managers this week to improve services and the three Auckland-area district health boards that awarded the contract to Labtests yesterday told the company it had a month to fix problems.
Last night Auckland DHB chairman Pat Snedden said Labtests' execution of the Auckland community laboratory contract was not up to scratch.
He called a press conference to reiterate the message Labtests had been told to "rapidly respond" to concerns raised by clinicians.
"We have taken on board clinical feedback and have made it very clear that we want immediate and substantive improvements," Mr Snedden said.
He added Labtests had indicated it had the ability to fully deliver on the contract.
The DHBs would update progress in two weeks.
NZPA