[jo-and-jeff]

I am a recent immigrant to New Zealand and a histo/cytopathologist at Diagnostic Medlab (DML) in Auckland, but I am writing this post as a concerned Auckland resident.

As some of you may know, the three Auckland District Health Boards (DHBs) recently decided not to renew DML's contract to provide laboratory services to the Auckland region. As of 1 July 2007, all of the lab testing that DML currently provides (over 30,000 specimens on over 10,000 patients every day) will be performed by Labtests Auckland, an organization with no facilities, no staff and no accreditation. Coincidentally, Labtests Auckland's CEO, Dr. Tony Bierre, is a member of one of the Auckland DHBs that awarded the contract to his company.

Labtests has already indictated that they plan to close nearly half of DML's collection sites (DML would have had to take similar action to meet the DHBs cost cutting target) and that they will increase the turn-around-time (the time between when your blood or tissue is taken and when your doctor gets the results) on all "non-urgent" tests.

Labtests has also claimed that they are interested in purchasing DML's central facility in Ellerslie. DML's parent company, Sonic Healthcare, has assured us and our shareholders that the facility will not be sold to another laboratory. Labtests is also claiming that DML's pathology staff is enthusiastic about the opportunities offered by the new consortium. Nothing could be further from the truth, as has been indicated in a recent letter signed by the majority of the DML pathology staff.

What does all of this mean to you? Well, considering that approximately 70% of medical decisions are based upon the results of laboratory testing, the health care of all Aucklanders could be in grave danger beginning next 1 July.

DML has provided an excellent service to doctors and patients in the Auckland area for nearly 70 years. It has taken generations of pathologists decades to create the world class company that exists today. What Labtests has claimed that it will be able to do, namely, duplicate our facilities and services, in less than one year, with no staff, has never been done anywhere in the world. Our health care is not worth this gamble.

If you find all of this rather disturbing, go to

http://www.dontriskourhealth.com/

and read the news articles (articles from both sides of the debate are presented), and if you live in the Auckland area and you remain concerned, sign the online petition requesting that the DHBs re-open the tender process. Keep watching that site, the NZ Herald and TV One (CloseUp is investigating the decision) for more information. Also, be sure to tell everyone that you know who might be impacted by this decision. This battle is far from over...

Jeff

[DB]

Ok, so I'll go first.


Labtests has also claimed that they are interested in purchasing DML's central facility in Ellerslie. DML's parent company, Sonic Healthcare, has assured us and our shareholders that the facility will not be sold to another laboratory.
Prediction: DML will sell the facility as a going concern to Labtests. Under company law, company directors are required to act in the best interest of the shareholders, and if there is more shareholder value in flogging the lab in one go to Labtests rather than selling it off piecemeal, then that is what DML are mandated to do by law.

Another alternative is that DML could sit tight, and then they will actually go bankrupt, as they have lots of staff, lots of expensvie leased equipment, lots of building costs, and no income stream.


Labtests is also claiming that DML's pathology staff is enthusiastic about the opportunities offered by the new consortium.
Well, they may not be enthusiastic, but options for staff will be either (1) move elsewhere (mainly overseas) to find a job, (2) change careers, or (3) sign up with Labtests. So my prediction is that 90% of the staff that Labtests end up with will be ex-DML.


What Labtests has claimed that it will be able to do, namely, duplicate our facilities and services, in less than one year, with no staff, has never been done anywhere in the world.
So its clear that Labtests have a strategy here; grab the people and the facilites, and on Monday at 8:59 DML own the ship, and one minute later Labtests take over command. The closing of the collection sites can happen after the takeover.

More than that, DML will be caught in a PR trap; if DML "obstruct" the handover to Labtests, they will be roasted by Labtests, the DHB and the Government. Any implementation niggles (or disasters), any lack of public services will be laid (in fault terms) firmly in the baliwick of DML.

Its all quite sad really, as DML had some backbone, stood up for what the community needed despite the DHB telling them what they wanted, and will be wiped off the face of the Auckland map for doing so. I suspect they wont have quite so much backbone next time.

I've been involved in Government IT in years gone by as a contractor to a contractor that provides services, and had similar things happen in that our mob (300+ bodies) have been ousted, and we were required to co-operate to ensure smooth handover so services are maintained. DML would be best advised to act in the best interest of the DHB, who are the piper that calls the tune. There's always the next time, and in my experience jobsworth pen-pushers have an alarmingly long corporate memory.

[Mexican in NZ]

:no i think it will be so bad to loose medilab!
I went today to take several tests and as always i got magnificent service. The staff is so friendly and they did tell me their concernes...they really dont even know what will happen if they close the lab as they will loose their jobs.
I think is ridiculous to even think that the company that wants to close medilab is going to be capable to do as many tests as required by the aucklanders!
We need people to not only say it is a shame but to sign the petition so this nonsense can be stop.
God bless,
Adriana

[jo-and-jeff]

Prediction: DML will sell the facility as a going concern to Labtests. Under company law, company directors are required to act in the best interest of the shareholders, and if there is more shareholder value in flogging the lab in one go to Labtests rather than selling it off piecemeal, then that is what DML are mandated to do by law.Hi, Jo here this time.

Note: all opinions and statements expressed here are purely my own, and Jeff is not responsible for them, nor does he endorse them, in any way.

The above scenario is based on the assumption that DML is a standalone NZ company. In fact, it is owned by an Australian company, Sonic Healthcare, which owns labs in Australia, Hong Kong, the UK and in the USA. Since Sonic owns other labs in NZ, and since DML is the largest of those labs, selling it to a competitor would only make the smaller labs "soft targets", a move that would most certainly not be in the best interest of Sonic shareholders. In fact, Sonic plans to use the facility "for other purposes" should it be unable to successfully challenge the DHBs decision. For more info on Sonic's response, see their latest press release (http://www.sonichealthcare.com/sonic/internet/html_corporate/announcements/asx/AucklandUpdate.pdf) (pdf document).



... options for staff will be either (1) move elsewhere (mainly overseas) to find a job, (2) change careers, or (3) sign up with Labtests. So my prediction is that 90% of the staff that Labtests end up with will be ex-DML.The actual figure will probably be lower, for a couple of reasons. While it's true that many of the lab technicians and other support staff will be unable to relocate even if they wanted to, in order for Labtests to provide services for the amount that they bid to the DHBs, they are going to have to make some serious cuts in staffing (according to last night's CloseUp news report (http://tvnz.co.nz/view/tvone_minisite_story_skin/797623%3fformat=html), they say they will hire more than 300 people; DML currently employs around 750), and in services (43 testing /collection centers around the city compared to DML's 84).

It's bad enough that so many Aucklanders are going to become suddenly unemployed. But that won't be as much of problem for the pathologists, only a handful of whom (as I understand it) are native Kiwis. 26 of the 37 pathologists who work for Diagnostic Medlab have signed a public statement (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/search/story.cfm?storyid=00095D5E-B861-14C8-A5E983027AF1010F) indicating that they believe that the changeover will have a dramatically adverse effect on Aucklanders' health and that they are "far from enthusiastic about the new opportunities" presented by Labtests' claim that the pathologists can take up new jobs with their company.

There is an international shortage of pathologists at the moment and jobs for pathologists are relatively plentiful overseas. Not only that, but pathologists' salaries are significantly higher in countries such as the U.K., U.S., and Australia (where taxes are also lower than in NZ). Many NZ-trained pathologists go to other countries for precisely this reason.

If two-thirds of DML's pathologists refuse to work for Labtests and move to other countries, and the usual time frame for getting one pathologist from another country through the NZ Migrant process and installed on the job in NZ is 6 months to a year, who is going to be doing Aucklanders' pathology???



There's always the next time, and in my experience jobsworth pen-pushers have an alarmingly long corporate memory.In fact, there may be no "next time". If this outrageous decision by the DHB to award Aucklanders' health care to an essentially non-existent lab (one small facility in Northland) goes forward, when the contract expires in 8 years there may be no competition in Auckland to bid for the renewal. After a company the size of DML has been shut down overnight by the DHB's tender process, who in their right mind would want to risk setting up shop here?

This decision, which has the potential to adversely affect the health care of hundreds of thousands of people in the Auckland area, can be reversed. But to do so, Aucklanders will have to speak up NOW, to the Ministers of Health, to the DHBs, and to the press.

[Tia Maria]

Just wanted to agree with 'Mexican in NZ'. I use the MediLab in Devonport and they are fantastic. I have a needle phobia, so its never going to be a good experience for me, but they are friendly, efficient and painless. I also never have to wait more than a few minutes (as long as you avoid Monday mornings).

My experience of giving Pregnancy bloods in the UK is the complete opposite, you have to wait ages, they often loose results and its a 50/50 chance that they get it right first time.

I signed the petition yesterday. Hope it has some effect!

Cheers

Tia

[CaliReg]

Thanks for the information Jeff. My wife and I are long time luckers who finally registered and our doing preliminary research on a possible emigration to NZ from the USA. I am a Cytotechnologist in the US with 16 years of experience and my wife is a Phlebotomist(studying Nursing).

This news certainly opens a cautionary door for us in terms of job prospects and job security, which are two of our top priorities with two children to support. This shake-up reminds me of the reference lab turmoil in the late 90's in the USA with many acquisitions and turn-over of large labs. I hope all works out well with the best interests of the patients, clinicians and staff in mind.

[Smiler]

Hi CaliReg

I'm just hilacking this thread for a mo to say

Welcome to the forum. :cheers

[jo-and-jeff]

You can write to the Prime Minister
(no stamp needed within New Zealand) at:

Rt Hon Helen Clark
Prime Minister
PO Box 18888
Parliament Buildings
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Ph: 64 4 471 9998
Fax: 64 4 473 3579
e-mail: pm@ministers.govt.nz
If you e-mail the Prime Minister and would like a reply you should include a postal address in your e-mail.

You can also contact Helen at her electorate office:

Helen Clark (http://www.primeminister.govt.nz/frame-contacts.html)
65 Sandringham Road
Auckland
NEW ZEALAND
Ph: 64 9 846 3117
Fax: 64 9 846 4354


Minister of Health (http://www.beehive.govt.nz/Minister.aspx?MinisterID=36)
Hon Pete Hodgson
Level 19
Bowen House
Cnr Lambton Quay and Bowen Street
WELLINGTON
email: phodgson@ministers.govt.nz
Tel (04) 470 6558
Fax (04) 495 8449


Associate Minister of Health (www.beehive.govt.nz/Minister.cfm?MinisterID=15)
Hon Jim Anderton
7th Floor
The Beehive
WELLINGTON
email: janderton@ministers.govt.nz
Tel (04) 470 6550
Fax (04) 495 8441


Associate Minister of Health (www.beehive.govt.nz/Minister.cfm?MinisterID=66)
Hon Damien O’Connor
5.3L
Executive Wing
Parliament Buildings
WELLINGTON
email: doconnor@ministers.govt.nz
Tel (04) 470 6574
Fax (04) 472 8054


Associate Minister of Health (www.beehive.govt.nz/Minister.cfm?MinisterID=69)
Hon Mita Ririnui
4th Floor
Executive Wing
Parliament Buildings
WELLINGTON
email: mririnui@ministers.govt.nz
Tel (04) 470 6577
Fax (04) 472 8069


Associate Minister of Health (http://www.beehive.govt.nz/Minister.aspx?MinisterID=78)
Hon Peter Dunne
Bowen House
Cnr Lambton Quay and Bowen Street
WELLINGTON
email: pdunne@ministers.govt.nz
Tel (04) 471 9615
Fax (04) 473 5817


Your Ministers in Parliament (http://www.ps.parliament.govt.nz/mps.htm)


Northern DHB Support Agency Ltd (http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/contact-us-dhb)
PO Box 112147
Penrose
AUCKLAND
Tel (09) 589 3900
Fax (09) 589 3901

General Manager
Sam Cliffe
Tel (09) 589 3902
email: Sam.Cliffe@ndsa.co.nz


Auckland District Health Board (http://www.govt.nz/record?recordid=4674)
Address Building 21
Gate 3
Greenlane Clinical Centre
Greenlane
Auckland

Postal PO Box 92 189
Auckland
Telephone +64 9 638 9909
Fax +64 9 631 0737

Waitemata District Health Board (http://www.waitematadhb.govt.nz)
Address North Shore Hospital Campus
Shakespeare Road
Takapuna
Auckland
Postal Private Bag 93-503,Auckland
Telephone +64 9 441 8915
Fax +64 9 486 8957
Web

Counties Manukau District Health Board (http://www.sah.co.nz/Feedback/contactCMDHB.htm)
19 Lambie Drive
Manukau City
Auckland

Postal Address
Private Bag 94052
South Auckland Mail Centre
Telephone: 09-262 9500
Fax: 09-262 9501

[CaliReg]

Smiler, thanks for the welcome :cheers

[jo-and-jeff]

Auckland CBD

Saturday August 19th at 2pm...Bottom of Queen St to Aotea Square...

Be there and bring as many family and friends as you can if you wish to see this decision overturned...

[Oregonkiwi]

looks like it's going to court:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10395357

A multi-million dollar row over medical laboratory services is headed for court.

Diagnostic Medlab confirmed today it is asking the High Court for a judicial review of the decision by three Auckland district health boards to dump Medlab as the area's main medical laboratory.

The three boards gave a $560 million, eight-year contract to a consortium led by Healthscope Ltd, Australia's second-largest private hospital operator.

The boards said the move could save $15 million a year.

However, Diagnostic Medlab chief executive Dr Arthur Morris said they had asked the courts to "examine some very serious matters of probity and process in respect of the decision".

"We believe a wrong decision was based on a flawed process. That is what we are asking the court to look at," he said in a statement.

"We intend to pursue every avenue available to us to have this wrong decision reviewed, because it has serious implications for our company, our staff, and, we believe, the people of Auckland.

"We are not going to stand by and let the DHBs destroy a world-class pathology practice that has served the Auckland region for 70 years."

He said 52,000 people had signed a petition calling for the DHBs to review the decision.

Those people, the people of Auckland, doctors, specialists and community health professionals were appalled at the decision and the lack of consultation, he said.

The eight-year contract was due to begin next July.

[jo-and-jeff]

Patients may suffer, College of GPs warns
Thursday, 10 August 2006, 5:26 pm
Press Release: Royal NZ College of General Practitioners

The College of GPs today criticised the three Auckland DHBs who have made major changes to the region’s laboratory service specifications without giving proper consideration to the impact the change would have on primary care.

“Accountants have focused on the dollars, and ignored the primary medical ethic of ‘First, do no harm,’ College president and Auckland GP Dr Jonathan Fox said. This follows the joint decision of Auckland, Counties Manukau and Waitemata to go to tender on a specification that reduced the current service.

The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners issued the statement following a meeting of the full College Council in Auckland. The College’s annual conference, ironically with a theme of Practical Solutions, officially starts tonight at 6.30pm, and continues until Sunday. “Our major concern is with the quality of care we can give our patients,” Dr Fox said.

“If we cannot get a continuation of the comprehensive, timely and precise reporting back from the labs, it is our patients who will suffer.” Auckland Faculty members were surveyed by the College in late July.

“GPs who responded cannot see the sense in changing something that was not broken. The general feeling among respondents is one of disbelief, shock, sadness, and apprehension.” Respondents were concerned that other services currently provided, such as expert advice and CME, will not play as big a part in the new service specification. The College is particularly critical of the lack of prior consultation for those most affected. “The DHBs must learn that the ‘H’ stands for ‘health’ and not ‘hospital’.

Currently they appear to be much more aware of secondary care (hospital) processes and are yet to learn that comprehensive consultation is imperative with the community. Both patients and general practice teams have been denied the opportunity to stress how fundamental such a quality service is to the success of effective primary care.” Dr Fox said Council members from outside Auckland had confirmed that where other DHBs has also changed the services in a bid to save money, the end result had been a degradation in the quality of service. “For those of us in Auckland, it confirmed our worst fears,” he said.

The College has also questioned whether DHBs followed change requirements set out in the Operational Policy Framework, specifically to consider impacts on the DHB provider arm, community and clinical views. Dr Fox said it was bizarre that, at a time when patient waiting lists are being slashed, with general practice exhorted to care for patients outside hospitals, that a world class primary care service should be put at risk.

Dr Fox said GPs would work with whoever provides the service, but were very uneasy with the potential risk to public safety from the change to service specifications. In particular the Council was concerned that these changes could result in a increase in hospital admissions. “You can’t just say ‘Sorry, we got it wrong’ when the quality of patient care is at stake.”

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0608/S00039.htm/

:(

[jo-and-jeff]

Just an update:

DML has filed papers with the High Court to look into matters of process and probity with respect to the ADHBs' decision. Our court date is scheduled for 20 November.

In the meantime, have a look at this letter to the Health Minister from the Chairman of the New Zealand Medical Association:


http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0610/S00018.htm

And, just in case you thought Wellington might be a better destination because of the situation in Auckland, have a look at this from a few days ago...

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dominionpost/0,2106,3810910a6479,00.html

Disturbing stuff. And, this is just the laboratory component. Junior doctors and radiologists have also been picketing the DHBs, but for other reasons. :uhoh

[jo-and-jeff]

Just another update.

DML's day in court has been postponed until 12 February. Apparently DML identified some significant material during the discovery process and revised their statement of claim. Depending upon whom you believe, at that point either the court decided that it needed more time to consider the case or the ADHB asked for more time to prepare their defence. Whichever is true, the result is that we will be unlikely to learn anything about the outcome of the case until the end of February. :(

[jo-and-jeff]

Update

Since the announcement of the ADHB's decision (http://www.listener.co.nz/issue/3460/features/6930/testing_time.html) awarding the Auckland area lab contract to the non-existent company Labtests Auckland (http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=782845), we at Diagnostic Medlab have been literally inundated with letters of support from local GPs, specialists and members of the public.

All of this support was very encouraging and heartening, but what did it mean? What about all of the GPs that we didn't hear from? How did they feel about DML? How did they feel about the decision? Were any of them consulted?

What about the public? Sure, over 123,000 of them had signed our petition (the population of Auckland is around 1.5 million), but media coverage has been spotty at best. How many knew what was going on? How did they feel about it?

DML wanted objective answers to these questions, so they hired an independent research firm, Colmar Brunton (CB), to survey Auckland GPs and the public (http://www.dml.co.nz/downloads/1536_Colmar_Brunton_Survey.pdf). I won't bore you with too much about the methodology of the survey except to say that of the 1300 GPs in the Auckland region, 839 were contacted to generate a sample size of 300. This represents a response rate of 45% (very good for any survey, but unheard of in surveys of doctors). No incentives were offered to the doctors in exchange for responding. The results, with an error rate of plus-or-minus 5.7% at a 95% confidence level, were as follows: Only 4% felt that there was any consultation about the decision to change provider. Of this 4%, only 40% felt that the level of consultation was adequate. 95% felt that maintenance of current turnaround times for routine blood tests was very important. 81% felt that 43 collection rooms would be too few. 79% said they were unable or unwilling to collect blood in their offices. 61% expressed dissatisfaction with the idea of using commercial couriers for sample pickup. 36% expressed concern that the change would result in a downgrade in service (This was a volunteered response to the open-ended question: "Do you have any other comments you'd like to make about the change in community laboratory services provider? If yes - What are these comments?") 92% would prefer DML to continue providing community lab services (Labtests got 1%; the rest were not sure or had no preference)
A simpler survey was presented to members of the public. These people were drawn from a pool of individuals already signed up with CB to participate in their surveys via the internet. In return for completing a certain number of surveys, these people get a small voucher to a local shop (so they had some small incentive). The sample size was 600, all from Auckland, all aged over 18 years. The margin of error was plus-or-minus 4.0% at a 95% confidence level. The results are as follows: 74% could name DML as the current provider (unprompted responses) 72% were aware of the decision to change providers 12% were aware that Labtests Auckland is the new provider 70% would prefer DML to have the contract 1% would prefer Labtests Auckland

Of course, even we acknowledge that a certain amount of this is the "better the devil you know (http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/better+the+devil+you+know.html)" phenomenon. Nonetheless, the numbers do suggest a high level of satisfaction with the job that we are doing, and that is something of which everyone at DML can be proud.

At this time, we can only wait for the court case to proceed in February, and hope that the judge will see fit to reverse this decision which would turn over the healthcare of Aucklanders to a brand-new company created by Auckland DHB (http://subs.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10392065) member Tony Bierre (http://www.missy-ga.info/Bierre.pdf), with no existing facilities, equipment, staff or lab Accreditation (http://www.ianz.govt.nz/services2/medical.htm).

Jeff

[jo-and-jeff]

Blood on the lab floors
by Carroll du Chateau, NZ Herald
20 January 2007

Kumeu GP William Ferguson says Labtests Auckland (http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=782845)'s assertion that it can undercut the current service by $15 million a year, subtract 12 pathologists and around half the region's community laboratory staff without lowering standards, "is blatantly dishonest".

Read more (http://subs.nzherald.co.nz/search/story.cfm?storyid=00067475-729B-15B0-9FAC83027AF1010E)


Health boards acted outside their powers, court hears
no author credited, NZ Herald
12 February 2007

DML lawyer Jack Hodder told the court "the decision by Auckland District Health Board and others would do serious and irreversible harm to diagnostic services in Auckland. It would reduce collection rooms from 80 to 43, cut staff by 161 and reduce pathology services by 36 per cent."

Read more (http://subs.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10423580)


$560m health fight in court
by Wayne Thompson, NZ Herald
13 February 2007

[Labtests Auckland (http://subs.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=294&objectid=10400243)'s] number of pathologists would be cut by 36 per cent to 16. The present 12-hour turnaround time for non-urgent tests would be extended to 48 hours, and GPs would be encouraged to collect samples to compensate for loss of collection rooms and staff. [something which the vast majority of Auckland-area GPs have since said they have neither the space, the staff, or the finances to do]

Read more (http://subs.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10423705)


Cash before patients, says ousted lab service
by David Eames, NZ Herald
14 February 2007

Labtests Auckland (http://www.dontriskourhealth.com/history.html) plans to reduce the number of sample collection rooms from 80 to 43, and the number of collection staff from 293 to 161, which DML claim will result in:
• Patients having to travel further to have samples taken.
• Longer waits for service at peak times.
• More patients not bothering to have samples taken for testing.
• GPs being pressured, or feeling pressured, into taking samples without being compensated for the extra work.

Read more (http://subs.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10423881)


Ex-board member accused of conflict of interest in lab
by David Eames, NZ Herald
16 February 2007

A former Auckland District Health Board member has been accused of a conflict of interest after failing to disclose a financial stake in the company [Labtests Auckland (http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=782845)] awarded a medical testing contract worth hundreds of millions... His investment could have returned Dr Bierre an after-tax figure of "close to $1 million a year", the papers claim... in a June, 2005 board meeting, Dr Bierre spoke "forcefully" against a recommendation the board renew Medlab's contract.

Read more (http://subs.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10424091)


Health board checked member's interest "too late"
by David Eames, NZ Herald
16 February 2007

The Auckland District Health Board did not investigate until it was too late a board member's interests in the company that won a $560 million medical testing contract, High Court documents allege ...the DHBs did not consider the conflict/insider information problem until they were almost committed to signing the contract with Labtests Auckland (http://subs.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=294&objectid=10400243). By then it was too late.

Read more (http://subs.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=294&objectid=10424256)


GPs yet to learn of lab tests setup, court told
by David Eames, NZ Herald
17 February 2007

Doctors [who would have to rely on patient testing from Labtests Auckland (http://www.dontriskourhealth.com/history.html)] are in the dark about the workload and pay conditions involved with the new medical testing contract, the High Court at Auckland heard yesterday.

Read more (http://subs.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10424443)


You can also see updates of NZ Doctor's daily coverage of the court case here:
http://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/HOTP/Labs-Case/Labs-archive.htm

[Trigirl]

i'm thinking jo-and-jeff might be happy....

"Medlab decision thrown out by High Court"

http://www.stuff.co.nz/3999453a10.html

[Oregonkiwi]

More here
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10429952
and
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10429946

[Malay-Coopers]

North & South did an in depth article in its latest issue. You may want to give that a read. Of course, it was published prior to this weeks events.

[jo-and-jeff]

We'd like to believe that there is reason for celebration. However, it now appears that the ADHBs are going to try to do an end-run around the judge's verdict and give Labtests (http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=782845) an interim contract for part of the Auckland laboratory service in an attempt to give them time to get up and running, since right now Labtests (http://www.listener.co.nz/issue/3460/features/6930/testing_time.html) appear to be in extreme difficulties in terms of staffing.

If you have concerns about the damage being done to NZ health care by the ADHBs (who are setting a precedent for the DHBs in the rest of the country), I encourage you to contact your MPs and Health Minister Pete Hodgson to call for the resignations of the ringleaders in awarding big-money government contracts to non-existent companies like Labtests (http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=782845) which are owned by their buddies: ADHB chair Wayne Brown, ADHB Deputy chair Ross Keenan, ADHB CEO Garry Smith, and Director-General of Health, Stephen McKernan.

You can keep up with the breaking news regarding the Auckland laboratory contract situation with (http://www.dontriskourhealth.com/links.html)Labtests (http://www.dontriskourhealth.com/links.html) here.

Jo