Health boss takes blame for budget bungle

The head of the federal health department admits he is to blame for health groups being denied access to budget papers.

Martin Bowles told a Senate committee in Canberra on Monday that an internal review is under way to ensure the process is better handled next year after health groups, some of which had travelled from interstate, were denied access to budget papers and instead given a media release and a powerpoint presentation.

The budget papers weren't ready to be provided for a lock-up because internal communications within his department were "at odds with each other" about what needed to be ready for the night.