Health Minister Jerome Kennedy said the Newfoundland and Labrador government and its health authorities have made significant progress with the Cameron report. (CBC)

The Newfoundland and Labrador government says many of the recommendations from a searing inquiry into breast cancer testing have been implemented.

Health Minister Jerome Kennedy told reporters Wednesday that the government, Eastern Health and other authorities have completed, or partly completed, 39 of the 60 recommendations made by Justice Margaret Cameron one year ago.

Cameron, who had documented failures at almost every level of the health-care system, called for sweeping changes in how pathology lab staff were trained, how information was to be shared, and in the rights of patients.

"A little over a year after the release of the Cameron report, significant progress has occurred on the implementation of the recommendations," Kennedy said.

In her final report, Cameron instructed the government to report to the public by March 2010 on its progress.

Kennedy said 39 of the recommendations were "completed or partially completed," while work has started on the remaining 21.

Kennedy said it will take three years to have all of the province's medical laboratories accredited.

The province won't resume hormone receptor testing until all pathologists working with the province's largest health authority are under one roof. They are working at different sites in St. John's now.

Eastern Health said it will take at least four months to consolidate its laboratories in one location.

Lab chief out

The release comes just weeks after the government effectively pushed Dr. Nash Denic, Eastern Health's laboratory chief, out of his position.

The authority said Denic had not informed executive management at Eastern Health of recent errors with testing for cyclosporine, an immunosuppressant that in high doses can cause kidney damage.

Colleagues said Denic was not only made a scapegoat, but had also accomplished much in overhauling the lab.

As well, the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Pathologists and the province's medical association have said recent criticism from Kennedy and Premier Danny Williams has made things worse at Eastern Health's lab.

Kennedy labelled pathologists there as "childish," in the wake of an external review of the lab that had been welcomed by staff.

Kennedy, though, has been unapologetic in his criticism of Eastern Health's lab, saying it will be held to a significantly higher standard in terms of accountability.