Official reports have confirmed that the Hawke's Bay District Health Board has kick-started an independent clinical probe into the standard of care offered to patients at the Cranford Hospice in Hastings.

The hospice is responsible for providing specialist palliative care service to residents of Hawke's Bay, and 70% of its funds are sent in by the DHB.

Ken Fotte, DHB Acting Planning Manager, has shared that the investigation is a direct result of a complaint that was recently sent to the Health and Disability Commissioner.

A report would be provided by an independent team of auditors and palliative care specialists from the Central Region Technical Advisory Service to the DHB by the starting of April this year.

A DHB spokesperson refused to share any details, asserting that it would be incorrect to make any more comments that the investigation has ended.