Waikato DHB told to make changes after losing safe water accreditation

Waikato District Health Board has lost its safe water accreditation.

International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ) has confirmed the Waikato District Health Board (DHB) was formally notified on Friday that its accreditation for safe water had been withdrawn.

Waikato DHB is contracted by the Ministry of Health to monitor drinking water suppliers in the district.

IANZ chief executive Dr Llewellyn Richards said the organisation would now have to take some corrective actions to sort out the issues before it was reassessed.

Richards was unable to give the reasons for the withdrawal, but said it was all documented in a report to the DHB.

This is the fourth accreditation the Waikato DHB has either lost of received a warning over in the past two years.

In December 2015, it lost its accreditation for obstetrics and gynaecology for training doctors after failing to meet three of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) seven standards.

Earlier this year the Medical Council of New Zealand warned the DHB about its intern training of house surgeons and registrars and gave it six months to improve before it could lose its accreditation. It has also been given a warning about its accreditation in training intern doctors in orthopaedics.

Waikato DHB has been in the spotlight over the past few months following allegations around its former chief executive Nigel Murray's spending and the subsequent resignation of its board chairman Bob Simcock.

Waikato DHB has been contacted for comment.