ACC has relaxed rules for Hawke's Bay Hospital that require high-tech scanning providers to have accreditation to get ACC funding. Photo: RNZ / Tom Kitchin
ACC has waived one of its usual requirements after the medical scanning department at Hawke's Bay Hospital ran into trouble.
The department had its international accreditation suspended last week due to long waiting lists and too few staff.
Normally, Accident Compensation requires high-tech (MRIs, CTs) scanning providers to have the accreditation to get ACC funding, which runs to over $110 million a year nationwide.
But it has relaxed that for Hawke's Bay.
"ACC has the discretion to waive this requirement, and has done so previously, while a supplier works to address the findings of an IANZ [International Accreditation New Zealand] report and ultimately regain accreditation."
The Crown entity IANZ had Hawke's Bay rated "high risk" for months.
It also faced suspension back in 2018 over black marks from IANZ around "patient safety, accommodation, environment and equipment replacement", and feared it would lose almost $600,000 a year of ACC funding.
"IANZ accreditation is one of a range of requirements in place to provide ACC as a funder with assurances about the quality and safety of service for our clients," the corporation's deputy chief executive for prevention and partnerships Tane Cassidy said in a statement on Thursday.
"We are continuing to work with Hawke's Bay Te Whatu Ora to understand the challenges it is facing."
Last week Te Whatu Ora said "ageing equipment" was a factor in the new suspension, however, new equipment has gone in at Hawke's Bay recently or, as in the case of a new MRI machine, is ready too once seismic problems are worked through.