However, Health Minister John Hatzistergos said he would refer the matters to the Health Care Complaints Commission and the NSW Medical Board.

It is not known if any of the deaths had any link with the misdiagnosis of some anatomical pathology tests performed by Dr Zaer while he was employed at Pathology New England between 1999 and 2001.

The Chief Executive of Hunter New England Health Terry Clout said there was no way of knowing if the six people who had died in the last seven years had done so because they had been "significantly misdiagnosed".

"We can't draw conclusions from that," he said.

"Just because two things happen in the same window of time does not mean that one is a causal link to the other."

Mr Hatzistergos said he was "happy to refer anything to any further authority but only if required to".

A spokesman for Mr Hatzistergos said yesterday it was up to the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC), NSW Medical Board and patients' families to seek further investigations into each individual death.

"The report on the review of pathology will be sent to the Health Care Complaints Commission and the NSW Medical Board for them to consider," the spokesperson said.

"They can refer matters to the coroner for them to consider investigating. The patients' families can also ask the coroner to investigate the case if they wish to.

"The HCCC also has the power to refer cases to the Director of Public Prosecutions for consideration where there is evidence of possible criminal offences," the spokesman said.

Asked if he anticipated action by distressed family members, Mr Hatzistergos replied: "We neither expect nor rule it out, it's obviously a matter for the families to make a decision in relation to that."

The Premier Mr Iemma said at the weekend the State Government would meet the medical expenses and health cover costs of those patients who had been misdiagnosed.

He also said these patients were entitled to seek a legal claim against the Government.