The demand comes after a Health and Disability Commission investigation into the 2022 death of a retired Southland nurse was released earlier this month.
A ‘‘hindsight review’’ undertaken of the original three biopsies revealed gastric adenocarcinoma had been present in two previous biopsies and missed by Awanui Labs pathologists.
Deputy health and disability commissioner (HDC) Vanessa Caldwell found a lead pathologist and Awanui Labs breached the health and safety code, which resulted in a ‘‘significantly delayed diagnosis’’.
Patient Voice Advocacy group chairman Malcolm Mulholland said the criticism did not go far enough.
‘‘This smacks of a corporate cover-up.
‘‘A case of a public service being privatised, so much so that the cuts that have been made to New Zealand’s pathology service to make a quick buck are now impacting harmfully on the health of patients.
‘‘I hope there has only been one misdiagnosis, as no-one wants to see another Cartwright Inquiry when system failures result in premature death.’’
Mr Mulholland said he believed that more questions need to be asked of Awanui Labs, in particular, why did they not disclose to the HDC that they had closed their histology services in Invercargill and what were the number of fulltime equivalents for pathology in the lower South Island.
The histology lab in Invercargill closed in 2021, with the workload moved to Dunedin.
This led to protests and strikes by Apex union staff employed by Awanui Labs over pay and the extra workload.
In 2023, New Zealand Institute of Medical Laboratory Science immediate past-president Terry Taylor said pathology was in the worst state he had seen in a career of more than 30 years, and it needed government intervention.
Mr Mulholland said he was concerned there was a pattern of behaviour at Health New Zealand Southern (HNZ), after several other damning HDC investigations in the past few years.
‘‘But the investigation needs to be fully independent. We as a public have been short-changed.’’
A spokeswoman for Health Minister Simeon Brown said the minister had not been advised by HNZ ‘‘on any matters relating to histology services in Invercargill under the previous government’’.
‘‘Any decisions on a review into funded sector-provided services would be a matter for Health New Zealand.’’
Mr Mulholland said this was not good enough.
‘‘You can’t just fob it off because it happened three years ago.
‘‘I think it’s important that Health New Zealand, as well as the minister, ensure that that this inquiry happens for patients who were diagnosed or had tissue samples taken for that period of time.’’
