State Investigator Proposes Reforms for Care Establishments in Sparsely Populated Areas
State investigator Åsa Himmelsköld has presented a memorandum containing proposals aimed at promoting care establishments in sparsely populated areas. These proposals come as the referral period expired on Friday, marking a significant step in potential healthcare reform.
One of the main components of the proposed reform is a regulation in the LOU that considers the interests of smaller companies. This would be linked to requirements for documentation and regulations from the Competition Authority.
The reception of these proposals among procuring authorities has been mixed. Several trade unions have expressed support for the reforms. Vårdförbundet believes that it could make it easier for nurses to run their own businesses, emphasizing the importance of considering the scope of assignments. Physiotherapists have also welcomed the reform, stating that traditional LOU procurement does not work for small healthcare providers.
The Public Health Agency, the City of Malmö, and the National Board of Health and Welfare have all given the green light for the reform. However, among the regions, there is division. Blekinge, Dalarna, and Sörmland approve of supplementing the LOU, while Halland, Gävleborg, Jönköping, and Skåne have rejected it.
The City of Gothenburg and SKR have raised concerns about the breadth of the CPV codes intended for new legal requirements. They believe that the additional documentation requirements for many procurements could be burdensome and see a risk of formality replacing business acumen.
The Swedish Competition Authority has expressed negativity towards special rules for certain types of procurement, while the Procurement Authority believes it is inappropriate to regulate in law that certain categories of procuring organizations must only take into account one of many different societal interests.
All consultation responses on the proposed reforms are accessible through the government’s website. This marks a crucial step in potentially reshaping the healthcare procurement landscape in Sweden.