Minister denies political inference with report

LATEST: Health Minister David Cunliffe says there is more information yet to come out concerning the troubled Hawke's Bay District Health Board.

Mr Cunliffe today denied accusations that he and his officials interfered in the writing of a report into the DHB and created a "whitewash".

A Health Ministry-commissioned independent report released yesterday slammed the former board for failing to properly manage conflicts of interest.

The report stemmed from allegations that Government-appointed board member Peter Hausmann used his position to gain an advantage for private company Healthcare New Zealand (HCNZ), which he partly owned, in tendering for a $50 million contract.

The tender was later scrapped after a whistleblower raised concerns.

Director-General of Health Stephen McKernan said, in releasing the report yesterday, the board lacked basic safeguards for managing conflicts and had "failed the most simple test of good governance".

Former board chairman Kevin Atkinson hit out at the report which he said was a "whitewash" that failed to address key issues.

"The final report reeks of political interference. Irrelevant matters seem to have been given importance to provide a smokescreen for the real issues."

He said the report failed to deal with the appointment of Mr Hausmann by former Health Minister Annette King, whose husband Ray Lind was the DHB's chief operating officer at the time.

Mr Lind, who was not responsible for the DHB's contracting, later left the DHB to join Healthcare NZ.

Mr Cunliffe told Radio New Zealand that he "categorically" denied any attempt to influence the inquiry.

He in turn pointed to the report saying numerous members of the board had conflicts of interest and did not manage them well.

"It was way too cosy at Hawke's Bay," Mr Cunliffe said.

Mr Cunliffe said he would be speaking more on the issue "over time".

Parliament sits today and MPs can say what they want about people without fear of defamation.

Mr Cunliffe said later on Radio New Zealand that he was looking into allegations concerning contracts between private hospitals and the DHB and "more serious allegations".

One of these was the "manipulation of waiting lists for financial gain".

Mr Cunliffe said he was trying to get more information, but if true the allegations were "very serious".

He said there may be some discussion in Parliament on the issue, later this week.

The allegations came from patients who had "bad experiences" and clinicians with concerns.

- NZPA