Auckland's health is too important to lab
test - join the debate!
Facts - when the contract was
awarded
Labtests Auckland Ltd have no laboratory,
testing or collecting facilities in Auckland when the contract was signed, and have less than
12 months to set them all up. The network Diagnostic Medlab operates
in Auckland
has been serving Aucklanders for years.
The DHBs weighted their decision
50% on price and made this the
overriding consideration in awarding the contract. A copy
of the proposed evaluation criteria, as outlined in the
Pathology Request for Proposal Discussion Document is below:
Mandatory Requirement
Meets Requirements
/ Weighting
1.
Demonstrated ability to provide
laboratory services of good quality.
Yes / No
2.
Demonstrated ability to meet
IANZ accreditation, or has an acceptable plan to meet IANZ
accreditation within 2 years.
Yes / No
3.
Value for money with emphasis
on price
Yes / No
50%
4.
Capability and experience,
ability to meet RFP requirements, proposals to maximise efficiency
of the laboratory sector.
Yes / No
15%
5.
Collaborative relationships and
demand management.
Yes / No
15%
6.
Information systems, technical,
meeting agreed turn around times.
Yes / No
10%
7.
Viability including assessment
of sustainability of provider’s proposal.
Yes / No
10%
NB: All elements are
mandatory. Having met the requirements, price
is the
overriding consideration.
Dr Tony Bierre is both CEO of LabTests
Auckland Ltd and was, until recently, an active member of the Auckland District Health Board
that jointly awarded the contract to Labtests Auckland Ltd. He is a
former employee of Diagnostic Medlab.
The community laboratory contract represents 90% or more of
Diagnostic Medlab's revenue. Losing this contract will lead to many
redundancies.
Diagnostic Medlab's laboratory staff are
some of the most highly skilled health professionals in the country.
New Zealand already has a shortage of Pathologists and with an uncertain
employment future, and better money overseas, some of our best and brightest
medical professionals may join the brain drain.
Diagnostic Medlab staff have no guarantee of
employment with Labtest Auckland Ltd. It has been estimated up to
30% of them could look offshore for future employment.
Labtest New Zealand did contract to offer the
DHB's a cheaper service, however this may result in reduced access and an increase in turn around times for tests.
This means you may have to drive further and wait longer for the results
of your diagnostic tests.
50% of the decision was based on
price. Price was
the tie-breaker.
