The creation of a National Health Board is well received despite concern about the predicted 500 job losses.

Five hundred "backroom" jobs in the health sector will go in a major Govt shake-up that will see the establishment of a National Health Board.

Top public servants received substantial pay rises in the past year, while there was also a big jump in civil servants earning over $100,000.

Health boards to pay $4.4m more for community laboratory services this year than planned because of a deal to prop up Labtests.

Ongoing problems with Labtests have Auckland's DHBs considering a return to Diagnostic Medlab for some community lab services.

The Govt is looking at banning other everyday products that are ingredients for the drug P, having taken many cold and flu tablets off shop shelves.

The number of patients in New Zealand hospitals attacked by "flesh-eating" bugs has trebled since 1990.

Five of the pathologists listed on Labtests' website are not fully registered to practise medicine in NZ.

Labtests has been told it is not meeting the requirements of its $190,000-a-day contract and needs to "lift its act" quickly.

New managers and doctors have moved into top roles at Labtests in a bid to control the failures that have plagued its first five weeks.

The chief executive officer of Auckland's troubled new laboratory company, Labtests, has stepped aside from the job.