News
Thank you for your patience
This update is to provide information regarding the recent industrial action and to recognise the ongoing challenges of the strike activity impacting your service. Firstly, I want to acknowledge that the now eight days of strike action from Awanui APEX Union members has impacted the day-to-day care of your patients. We recognise this is a […]
Coeliac testing update
We are pleased to announce that Awanui Labs is updating our approach to Coeliac disease testing. This update involves minor changes to the testing algorithm and the introduction of an e-ordering form. The purpose of this initiative is to encourage testing in appropriate clinical scenarios and to facilitate the provision of adequate clinical details which […]
HPV testing update
Since Monday 31 March 2025, Awanui Labs has been experiencing instrumentation issues that have suspended HPV testing and reporting. While these issues caused delays, we can confirm that no patient results were affected during this time. From today, 15 April 2025, testing has resumed. Please note, due to the backlog, it may take approximately two […]
Holiday opening hours 14-27 April
The opening hours for our collection centres during the school holidays, including Easter and ANZAC weekends maybe changed to those advertised. Please find details of opening hours here for the holiday period. Note: There will also be industrial action from 22-24 April which impacts opening hours – read more here.
HbA1c Method Change
Awanui is harmonising HbA1c testing across all laboratories by transitioning from the Bio-Rad D-100 to the Roche C513 platform. Awanui Auckland has successfully used the Roche platform for several years, and this change aligns with our commitment to improving efficiency and maintaining high-quality patient care. The current HbA1c reference interval and diagnostic, monitoring and treatment […]
Urine collection changes
The new urine collection container now available, has a pouring lip which will assist in transferring the urine into the tube (see below). This change will reduce the amount of plastic used and manual handling done in laboratory for processing urine samples on our analysers. Urine samples must be collected in the correct specimen container […]
Diagnostic stewardship urinary tract infections
The provision of clinical details for urine specimens collected for investigation of urinary tract infection or red cell count monitoring is critical to ensure samples are processed optimally. Since the 28 January, clinical details have been mandatory and samples have not been processed until clinical details have been provided. From 3 March, 2025 urine culture requests […]
Vitamin D testing survey
Awanui Labs is working together with the University of Otago to investigate the rising trend in vitamin D testing across various medical laboratories in New Zealand and propose effective strategies to manage this increased demand. If you participate, what will you be asked to do? If you decide to participate we’d appreciate you completing a […]
Waitangi day
All of our collection centres will be closed on Thursday 6 February for Waitangi day.