So far, 507 out of 1209 family doctors have signed the new contracts offered by NVD. Commenting on the family doctors’ objections to the terms of the contract, the representatives of the service emphasized that, compared to last year, the contract “has not changed significantly”. As the negotiations with the contractual partners continue, NVD allows the possibility to make changes or revise the current version of the contract as a result of the negotiations.
NVD informed that previously there were 12 different contracts for individual services, but now a single contract has been created for all health care service providers. The goal of the service in the future is to implement an electronic contract conclusion and maintenance system.
The service informed that the unified project of the contract was developed in 2023, and after the meeting on September 20, 2023, medical institutions and practices were invited to submit suggestions and objections to the project by October 20, 2023. According to NVD, during the drafting of the unified agreement, out of the 108 suggestions and objections submitted, 55 were taken into account and another 20 were partially taken into account.
In general, NVD contracts have been signed by 51% of health care service providers. Out of 40 hospitals, 29 or 73% have signed them.
It has already been announced that approximately 589 family doctors of Latvia have applied to the court, who considered the terms of the contracts proposed by NVD to be disproportionate. The Association of Latvian Rural Family Physicians has not started litigation with NVD regarding the contracts, because it believes that they are not significantly different from the previous ones.
In total, the family physicians represented by the LGAA have raised at least eight demands regarding the new contracts, including the doctors’ opposition to the proposed contract term and remuneration, as well as the application of contractual penalties and the procedure for determining the list of manipulations.
The association has requested, for the duration of the legal proceedings, to oblige the NVD to conclude public law contracts with the applicants for the provision of state-paid health care services in the version of the contracts proposed by the service on December 16 without disputed points. The court is planning to consider this request on January 10.