Labtests still need to prove efficiency

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Labtests have been plagued by complaints since taking over Diagnostic Medlab's contract in August

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 9:26a.m.

The Medical Association says Auckland's new blood test provider still has not been given a clean bill of health.

A six week report on Labtests by the District Health Board's quality assurance team reveals it will be months before the company is properly up-and-running.

That is concerning news for the chair of the New Zealand Medical Association, Peter Foley.

"Although there has been improvements since the first few weeks of the transition process, there is still a dramatic amount of work that Labtests need to do to reach the standard of the previous provider, or to actually - as we would expect - superceed that," he says.

Labtests took over from Diagnostic Medlab in August, and has been plagued by complaints about its efficiency.

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Comments [2]

Ranj

03 Nov 2009 4:56p.m.

From my recent experience Labtests will never reach DML standards. As you all are aware they took for $17 less per Aucklander than it was paid to DML (A very old rate). Hence they will cut cost where ever possible by which service will suffer. Recently I have made a complaint with HDC for “Not providing a quality service and was not treated with care and skill". While they may have pathologists, I am not sure how many % of their Technicians are permanent and registered.I know many of their Phlebotomists (people who take blood) at the collection centres are temps from a temping agency. Labtests claim that they all are registered nurses. Are they? Check it out. One thing I am sure is that it will take them more than a year before they could fill these vacancies with registered Phlebotomists. So don't expect to receive a quality service at the collection centres.
If you are in doubt you can always request for their names and qualification details.

dan

03 Nov 2009 11:50a.m.

Everyone who dealt with the matter of replacing a well established Kiwi company with an Aussie company only because of money is now looking foolish. Labtests is a faisco and a failure. Bring back Diagnostic MEDLAB.