A doctor who failed to indicate the extent of a cancerous white lesion on a man's tongue has been noted as not providing services to the man with reasonable care and skill.

The Whanganui Districted Health Board said it accepted that it did not provide services to the patient with reasonable care and skill, a report by the Health and Disability Commissioner has revealed.

The report stated that an oral and maxillofacial surgeon was in breach of the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights for failing in the management of a man's tongue lesion.

The surgeon undertook a biopsy of the lesion and "the histology report following the biopsy indicated squamous cell carcinoma in situ (cancer), incompletely excised".