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Three Auckland district health boards have made a deal with Diagnostic Medlab to provide laboratory services for the region until the end of next year.
The Auckland, Waitemata and Counties-Manukau District health boards had awarded a $560 million contract for pathology services to Labtests Ltd to provide laboratory services from July this year.
Diagnostic Medlab, the current provider, appealed the decision, and it was last week overturned by the High Court at Auckland, throwing the region's health services into disarray.
Today the board announced the agreement with Diagnostic Medlab to continue to provide its services for 18 months from July 1.
Auckland health board chief executive Garry Smith, on behalf of the other CEOs, said he was pleased to secure an interim arrangement which included some of the strategies the DHBs were wanting to achieve for laboratory services.
A statement from the boards said the deal would result in $10 million in savings for the same level of service.
"This demonstrates Diagnostic Medlab's understanding of the need to deliver financial savings for the region."
Mr Smith said current service levels, quality standards, turnaround times, and staffing levels would be maintained.
The DHBs would work to develop longer term preferred configuration options for collection services, he said.
Significant changes would be made only after consultation with community and doctors.
Health Minister Pete Hodgson today in a statement he was pleased an interim deal had been concluded.
Mr Hodgson left today for an Australian Health Ministers Conference in Melbourne. He returns tomorrow night.
Opposition health spokesman Tony Ryall asked if Mr Hodgson would take action against board members for mistakes in the original tender process, now an interim contract had been concluded.
In the immediate aftermath of the High Court decision Mr Hodgson left the door open to take action against some board members once an interim deal had been signed.
Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen, standing in for Mr Hodgson, told Parliament the Government had concerns over how board members had conducted the tender process, but these would be addressed by Mr Hodgson when he returned from Australia.
- NZPA
