News
Newsletter: October 2025
Histology turn-around times Awanui Labs Wellington are experiencing continued high volumes of histology specimens, and it is putting increased pressure on histology reporting times. At present non-urgent specimens may take upwards of four to five weeks to report and it would be appropriate to alert patients of these delays and plan follow up visits accordingly. […]
Labour day
All of our collection centres will be closed on Labour day (Monday 27 October). Collection centres that are normally open on a Saturday will operate with normal opening hours. Enjoy the long weekend and travel safely if you are heading out of town.
Understanding Allergic Diseases
Supporting GPs in Diagnosis and Management In this article, Dr Steele discusses how laboratories support GPs in diagnosing allergic diseases, avoiding unnecessary requests and testing, and delivering better outcomes for patients. Along with autoimmune diseases, the number of allergic diseases including respiratory, food, and skin allergies are increasing around the world and affecting different population […]
Newsletter: August 2025
Home Visit Criteria 2025 We are reaching out to provide a reminder about the appropriate use of our home visit phlebotomy service. Our mobile service exists to support patients who are genuinely unable to attend a collection centre due to medical, mobility, or other significant limitations. We appreciate your partnership in helping us ensure this […]
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 […]
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 […]