Pathologists say lab tendering is making staff shortage worse

Uncertainty in laboratories caused by tendering such as the Labtests Auckland contract has made the pathologist shortage worse, their professional body says.

Dr Debra Graves, chief executive of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, said yesterday it appeared there had been no reduction in the crisis in New Zealand pathology since the college's last two-yearly workforce survey in 2007.

The college, while silent on the merits of different laboratory companies, has spoken out against competitive tendering. It says pathology, which underpins the medical diagnosis of patients' ill-health in the community and at hospital, must not be treated "like a laundry service". Tendering of community laboratory services was introduced this decade when funding was devolved from the Ministry of Health to the 21 district health boards.

Dr Graves said it appeared that tendering had contributed to the crisis by destabilising the industry.

In Auckland, staff of Diagnostic Medlab, which is losing the community laboratory contract in September after a decision first made by the region's three health boards in 2007, must choose whether to seek work at Labtests Auckland. Labtests intends to employ 17 fulltime equivalent pathologists for work now done by 24 at DML.

"We know there are 58 pathologists who trained in New Zealand working overseas," said Dr Graves. "When you have only got 210 pathologists [working in New Zealand], that is a huge drain."

She met Health Minister Tony Ryall on Tuesday to ask for tendering to be replaced by a different funding system.

"He indicated he was willing to work with the college. It was a huge step forward."

Mr Ryall indicated last night that officials were responding to calls by medical groups for a national approach to community laboratory services.