Mum needled by lab service

BY NICOLA WILLIAMS

The transition to a new laboratory service provider has been a sore point for Michelle Smith.

Mrs Smith has been having regular tests since she was diagnosed with crohn’s disease in March 2007.

Labtests took over the eight-year $560 million contract from Diagnostic Medlab in Counties Manukau in August, and will be responsible for all community laboratory tests for Auckland’s three district health boards.

After rising concerns that the transition was putting patients at risk because of a substandard service the Auckland District Health Board this week sent senior health officials to intervene.

Mrs Smith’s monthly blood tests had been quick, efficient and painless until they were done by Labtests.

She says she noticed staff struggling to get blood from her, and got a phone call a few days later saying not enough blood had been collected and she needed to go back a second time.

It was also more painful than she had experienced before.

"You expect it to scratch but not to be sore 20 minutes later."

The Howick resident has a regular client card so she doesn’t have to fill out the paperwork each time.

She was told she would need a referral for a new card, and told staff she sees her specialist every six months so couldn’t go back just to get a form signed.

After three attempts staff finally let her use her existing card.

She says her experience has "not reflected well on Labtests".

"They just weren’t as competent as Diagnostic Medlab.

"I had no complaints about Diagnostic, I would rate them 10 out of 10."

Her nine-year old son Ben says when he had a recent blood test it "really hurt". A month earlier he had a blood test at Diagnostic Medlab that he says was quick and painless.

Diagnostic Medlab customer support manager Sheena Carpenter says they are getting many phone calls from patients sharing their bad experiences about Labtests.

"It’s no exaggeration to say we get dozens of calls a day."

Mrs Carpenter says what is consistent about the calls is they all report the feeling Labtests are inexperienced and incompetent.

She says incorrect samples are being collected and GPs are complaining they often get the wrong results or no results at all.

Labtests chief executive officer Ulf Lindskog, who stepped down from the job on Monday, says all staff at the collection centre Mrs Smith went to are experienced phlebotomists.

"Two of them have come to work for Labtests directly from the former provider and the other has worked as a phlebotomist in Auckland for more than four years."

He says Labtests has been accepting the old cards and test request forms during transition.

"However, we are legally required to have a doctor’s referral on file for regular patients, that’s why patients need to get their referrals updated," Mr Lindskog says.

"As the sole provider of community pathology services in the Auckland region the focus of our staff is on patient care and service to doctors."

- © Fairfax NZ News