The Medical Scientists Association of Victoria has called on the Andrews Government to review pathology services to ensure all public hospitals with private pathology providers are meeting contracted service requirements.

"Once the government starts taking a closer look at the pathology contracts at public hospitals that have privatised pathology services they'll find problems,” MSAV CEO Paul Elliott said.

“Dorevitch Pathology is an organisation that bids at the lowest possible price to undercut its competitors but ultimately it is the community left being undercut as it cuts services, sack scientists and increases turn-around times for test.”

Dorevitch was awarded the contracts to provide pathology services for both East Grampians Health Service and the Ararat Medical Centre earlier this year.

“These people have stuck to every word of their contract,” Mr Bush said.

“Since the transition to Dorevitch it has maintained the laboratory at Ararat and has sustained our birthing services.

“As an organisation we are committed to supporting Dorevitch which is supporting GPs to deliver babies here in Ararat.

“We have a strong working relationship with Dorevitch and are pleased with the services they offer the hospital.”

Mr Elliott said EGHS needs to enforce contracts and not allow standards to fall in order for a private pathology provider to appear to be meeting contracted requirements.

"It will be terrible for the community if the hospital's management allows pathology quality standards to decline for the sake of protecting a private provider's profits," he said.

"The community must be guaranteed that the hospital's management and board won't turn a blind eye to contract failures.

"Given that pathology testing accounts for more than 80 per cent of diagnoses in clinical care settings, the community must be reassured that vital services like emergency and obstetrics won't suffer due to private arrangements with Dorevitch Pathology to increase turn-around times, cut testing done in the hospital and sack scientists.

"The question for the health service’s management is: are they prepared to front the community with hand-on-heart and promise that they will enforce contract requirements?"