Some issues were raised about health records management in a regular review of Southern District Health Board quality improvement processes.
The review, carried out by health auditors DAA Group in May, referred to a Southland Hospital clinician copying patient data to his personal computer.
It recommended work continue to resolve outstanding issues with health records management.
These issues included progress notes being faxed without a unique patient number on every page and the management of alerts, such as those for allergies, on patient files.
Progress in the area of keeping and using accurate health records was given a moderate achievement rating in common with 13 of the 14 criteria against which the board's processes were assessed.
The moderate achievement rating is third in a five-step system which has outstanding achievement at the top.
The only area to receive a higher than moderate rating was the infection control system, which was given the second highest rating of extensive achievement.
The group's report was the first since the merger of the Otago and Southland boards last year and said there had been a significant attempt at both sites to progress previously made recommendations.
The surveyors asked that existing processes for gaining informed consent across all board sites be evaluated.
It asked that all patients in Ward 8c at Dunedin Hospital having blood transfusions have a current signed consent form stored in their health records.
Another recommendation asked that policy be defined for informed consent for anaesthetics.
In a section on healthcare incidents and complaints, the surveyors asked the board to ensure incidents were reported at Southland Hospital.
