Premier Danny Williams tapped Newfoundland and Labrador's most senior civil servant on Wednesday to head a review into the health-care system.

Robert Thompson, who had been the clerk of the executive council and secretary to cabinet for more than three years, will prepare the way for a judicial inquiry into faulty lab tests involving hundreds of breast cancer patients.

Danny Williams on Wednesday appointed his top civil servant to oversee a task force on adverse health events.
(CBC)

Thompson will also head a newly announced task force on "the management of adverse health events and the related dissemination of public information," Williams said.

As well, Thompson has taken on the role as the acting deputy minister of health, replacing John Abbott, who was offered another senior role in the civil service but declined.

Williams described Thompson as "an eminent and exceptional individual" and said that appointing the province's chief civil servant indicated the seriousness with which his government is addressing a widening controversy involving health care tests.

"Mr. Thompson is the top public servant that I have available in this administration to put on this, and I think that's a good start," Williams told the legislature.

Thompson served as the deputy minister of health under a former government.

A judge has not yet been appointed to head the inquiry, which the government announced last week. The inquiry will examine faulty hormone receptor tests, in which more than 300 women received inaccurate results that excluded them from being considered for anti-hormonal and possibly life-saving treatments like Tamoxifen.

The Eastern Health regional authority has come under fire for not disclosing what it knew about the tests, including an error rate that was several times higher than what it had publicly disclosed.

The hormone receptor tests are the subject of a class-action lawsuit that was certified Monday at Newfoundland Supreme Court. About 100 breast cancer patients have joined the suit, and more may join now that the case will proceed.

Opposition leader Gerry Reid went on the offensive against Williams on Wednesday in the legislature, criticizing the shuffle of senior civil servants as ineffective.

"You're not doing anything different," Reid said. "That doesn't give me any comfort, I say to the premier."

Testy exchange

Williams also had a testy exchange in the legislature with New Democratic Party Leader Lorraine Michael, who called the task force "a Band-Aid over the gaping wound of our health-care system" that would not address systemic problems.

Michael called the task force "a public relations exercise."

Williams lashed back at Michael. "For you to play the politics that the honourable members opposite are playing, and to play that silly, foolish political game that's going on over there is shameful," Williams said.

Meanwhile, Williams stressed on Wednesday that Abbott had not been fired as deputy minister of health. He said with a review under way, it would not have been appropriate for him to continue in that role in the health department.

Before returning to the civil service, Abbott had worked as a private consultant. He is expected to be pursuing similar ventures.