As reported in Stat 806, the CEO of Western Health, Kath Cook, basically accused the union of not understanding the arrangements between WH and Dorevitch, stating in an Email on 27 July 2011

I am concerned that … you are still unclear on so many of the issues for your members affected by the change to our pathology services provider.

To clarify, the common position of Western Health, Melbourne Health and Dorevitch is as follows:

Dorevitch will make offers to all affected Melbourne Health employees

Dorevitch did not make offers to all the Melbourne Health microbiology scientists employed to service the WH contract. And WH has failed to hold Dorevitch to account on this.

Cook also told us there would be a 24/7 on-site microbiology service at Western Health. This is consistent with the tender specifications which require 24/7 microbiology services to be provided at the Western General (Footscray) and Sunshine hospital laboratories.

We understand that microbiology is not being performed at either Western Health site at present. We are informed that microbiology tests, including CSFs, are being sent to the Dorevitch laboratory at Heidelberg.

We also understand that turn-around times for testing have blown out beyond what was in the publicly available tender specifications.

In order to better understand the contractual arrangements between WH and Dorevitch we have made a Freedom of Information (FOI) request in relation to certain aspects of the contract. Not that we do not trust the word of WH CEO of course ……