A district health board chief executive says setting up a system to share patient records between hospitals electronically is complex.
Senior doctors at their union's annual conference in Wellington on Thursday were told some DHBs are making slow progress.
Wairarapa DHB chief executive Tracey Adamson is overseeing record sharing between six DHBs in the lower North Island and says that the project is complex.
But the union's president, Palmerston North paediatrician Jeff Brown, said delays mean patients get different care depending where they live.
Dr Brown told a conference in Wellington on Thursday that hospital doctors in some parts of the country can see all their patients' medical records, including those from the family doctor.
In other areas, he said patients who have to keep repeating key information.
Dr Brown later told Radio New Zealand News that all DHBs should be able to offer an electronic health records system like one in Canterbury, known as ESERV which was introduced late last year.
He says six boards in the lower North Island have struggled to make progress on such a system and he urged senior doctors to question the delays.
Health Ministry officials confirmed that some district health boards are struggling to introduce shared electronic health records.
National Health IT Board director Graeme Osbourne says it hasn't been easy for DHBs.
He says Northern and South Island boards have made more progress, while those in the Midland and Central regions have very good plans, but are struggling to execute them.
