What's the Known Data?

Knowledge is power! The past is the key to a better future!

NZIMLS Report Points of Interest

There has never been a medical laboratory scientist in a National Allied Health, Scientific and Technical leadership role
There is no national coordinated workforce and testing data made freely available despite pathology services being publicly funded.
Most people (especially health leaders and politicians) struggle to understand that ‘No Pathology = No Healthcare'
200,000 samples processed per day.
Technical/Scientific workforce of 4000.
4 years undergraduate to train a scientist (>5 years workplace to become specialists), 2 years for a technician
Publicly funded pathology: hospital and community pathology.
$670 Million budget (2.6% of Vote Health budget 2022).
3 private providers of pathology, 70% of all pathology services. 100% of all cancer diagnostics
44% of public hospital laboratories are under private contracts from DHB’s (now HNZ).
97% of all public pathology processed by a private company
Poorest enumerated registered health practitioners, lowest level of Māori and Pasifika practitioners.

History of Clinical Pathology in New Zealand since 2007

First public hospital merger to private in 2007 (Dunedin and Invercargill).
Pete Hodgson (Labour) signed this contract off.
Started a period that saw almost half of DHB’s sign over their

public pathology services to private companies by 2015.
Consistent contractual undercutting and cost cutting regards workforce and services to ensure contracts were maintained.
Samples crisscrossing the country to fulfil provider fiscal and monopoly requirements, not always patient or service considerations.
Very little DHB, and now HNZ oversight of what was happening behind the laboratory doors. Veil of secrecy and mistrust between providers at the management level.
The pandemic provided the soapbox to expose exactly what the true national ramifications of past decisions were.

What is preventing public pathology's path to recovery?

Since 2007 over half a billion dollars have been removed out of the pathology sector as operating ‘surplus’.
Very little reinvestment in workforce and precision pathology due to short term planning and strategies focused on increasing short term profits and workforce cost cutting.
During Covid, on top of existing contracts $495 million was paid to pathology providers in NZ for PCR testing (>$300 million to private labs). No flow on to scientific workforce.....
In Oct 2023 the HNZ Allied Health Scientific and Technical pay equity claim for female dominated professions was signed. 80% female pathology technical workforce.
Private pathology employees collectively paid 30% less compared to HNZ workers doing the same hospital roles (more work actually!).

Why education and retention are pertinent?

During and since Covid, major issues with work conditions, expectations and fiscal pathology environment.
Expectation across the private laboratories to do more and more with less as experienced staff are not replaced. Cost cutting by stealth due to investor pressure.
Major problem with professional ‘dumbing down’ by having less qualified and lower paid workers employed in the place of experienced specialists to cut costs.

No guaranteed scientist positions for new graduates.
No funding assistance for internship student scientist placements (students pay the laboratory providers).
No consistent career progression or employer intent to provide fiscal recognition for qualifications and specialist skills.
Ethical and professional conundrum for many practitioners.