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Are 'choosing wisely' or other demand management approaches ever undertaken with private hospitals to ensure the appropriate use of publicly funded laboratory services by these hospitals?

Answered Question 6275 (2026)
Question published
Reply lodged

Asked by

Ayesha Verrall

List MP · Labour Party

Question

  • Are 'choosing wisely' or other demand management approaches ever undertaken with private hospitals to ensure the appropriate use of publicly funded laboratory services by these hospitals?

Answered by

Hon Simeon Brown

Member for Pakuranga · National Party · Minister of Health

Answer

I am advised that under the status quo, each laboratory is responsible for deciding what advice to provide to clinicians on the best use of testing. I am further advised however, that Health New Zealand, through its newly formed National Pathology Clinical Network, has work planned to develop a national test stewardship approach to provide national consistency, and that approach is intended to cover all labs and referrers