Eastern Health slammed over bid to conceal cancer lab audit

A Newfoundland and Labrador health authority's decision to keep secret the audits of a controversial lab smacks of a coverup, Opposition politicians say.

Lawyers acting on behalf of Eastern Health argued in Newfoundland Supreme Court last Friday to prevent the findings of external reviewers becoming public. The reviewers had looked at the practices of a lab in 2005 and 2006, after the authority disclosedflawed tests involving about 300 breast cancer patients.

Liberal Leader Yvonne Jones said she hopes the court will rule against the authority, particularly as a judicial inquiry is set to begin hearing evidence in January.

"It really makes people wonder if there is a coverup here inside the health-care system, when they want to refuse to provide information to an inquiry," Jones told CBC News.

Eastern Health argues that the auditors, who were participating in a quality assurance program, were told that their reports would not be made public, and that it fears auditors will not be candid in the future if their comments are not protected.

New Democratic Party Leader Lorraine Michael is not buying the defence.

"That argument sounds a bit weak to me," Michael said.

"Auditors are paid to do their job, and I don't think it affects the objectivity of auditors if, down the road, their audits might be made public."

A date has not yet been set for the court to hear Eastern Health's application.

Justice Margaret Cameron will begin hearing evidence next month as a judicial inquiry examines why problems with hormone receptor tests took so long to detect, how the health authority handled the false tests, and how those false tests affected cancer patients.

Meanwhile, a class action suit involving the flawed tests is pending. Newfoundland Supreme Court ratified the suit this spring.