BC's Health Minister has confirmed conflict of interest allegations involving a board member of the Provincial Health Services Authority are being investigated by her staff.

 Margaret Macdiarmid says she learned this week Mary McDougall --who's been on the PHSA board since 2008-- was short-listed for a multi-million dollar operating grant from the authority.

 "Obviously, any suggestion that there's a conflict of interest problem, we take that very, very seriously. Any allegation like this, so it is being looked into. There are very clear policies around conflict of interest. It will be investigated. If there's a problem, it will be dealt with."
 
 In November, McDougall applied for contracts worth up to 24-million dollars a year.

 Last month, her bid to provide more than 200 complex care beds in the Tri-Cities was shortlisted.

 NDP health critic Mike Farnworth is demanding McDougall be immediately taken out of the running for those contracts.

 He's also seeking her removal from the PHSA board.