Reporting issues have rendered recent financial statements for the Health Insurance Department “unauditable” by the Auditor-General.

However, Jeanne Atherden, the Minister of Health, said that “better days are ahead”, as the department has advanced greatly in its claims administration and other procedures.

Restoring confidence in the department’s accounting has been “a long and arduous process, spanning almost six years”.

Modernising the department exposed “serious deficiencies in intra-Government reporting”, and it was agreed in a May 2014 consultation with the Auditor-General that there would be a denial of opinion on the records.

However, Ms Atherden told the House of Assembly that regular audits of the department are to resume with the 2014-15 fiscal year.

The minister tabled financials for the fiscal periods ending March 31 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, representing “the last major legacy issue faced by the department”.