Congress report - European Health Forum Gastein

Forum III: Health and the Single European Market
Positive aspects: Negative aspects:
• Improvement of the
organisation in a short
period of time.
• The objectivity of the
awarding criteria
increases.
• Better publicity and
more transparency.
• The procedures to
negotiate exclusivity
contracts become
quicker.
• Increase in quality, rigor
and protocolisation.
• Increase in red tape,
which affects quickness. It
is compulsory to go
through a long, hard and
difficult process.
• The law fails to adapt to
the sector and to the
specific needs of health
bodies.
• There is little clarity in
some aspects, such as the
framework agreement or
the proceedings required
for the negotiated
process.
• It becomes more difficult
to detect needs. There are
more information needs,
and this implies an
increase in services and
personnel.
• Extension of time limits to
make the purchases.
• Discomfort among
professionals.
“For example, one can say:
“ how much am I going to
spend on sutures in the
year X? Or you can say:
“well, I am going to spend
money on a prosthesis and
you think: we are going to
buy fix prosthesis, but next
year the decision is to buy
rotative prosthesis, and
what are you supposed to
do with the contract
signed for the fix ones?”.
(ECONO1)
“If you prepare the tender
well, it normally works
well. Sometimes, doctors
have got used to a specific
type of trade mark and if
the tender is not well
defined, there can be
problems. There have been
problems with needles and
other lots”. (ECON02)
“It has been a great effort,
based on experience.
When you get to the
technical committees, in
which the technical aspects
are assessed, there are
mistakes in the
convocation which must
taken into account for the
following year” (ECON08)
Reasons for the changes in the purchasing system
Reasons for current changes in the purchase system are frequently attributed to the
European Union's influence in the integration process of its Member States:
International Forum Gastein, Tauernplatz 1, A-5630 Bad Hofgastein
Tel.: +43 (6432) 7110-70, Fax: Ext. 71, e-mail: info@ehfg.org, website: www.ehfg.org
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Changes and improvements can also be seen as a result of the enforcement of the Spanish
Public Procurement Act which establishes the adaptation of services to the new situation: