The Swedish Court of Appeal in Gothenburg announced that it had rejected all applications for an appeal on the coordinated procurement of healthcare staffing personnel for Sweden's regions.

Just over a month ago, there was an awarding decision regarding the coordinated procurement of ‘rental’ personnel in healthcare for Sweden's regions. Staffing firms appealed this , pending a decision at the Court of Appeal. On 16 November 2023, the Court of Appeal in Gothenburg announced that it had rejected all applications for the appeal.

According to Sweden Posts English, the Court of Appeal agrees with the administrative court’s previous judgments and rejects the staffing companies’ applications.

The country’s regions have been trying for several years to get a national staffing agreement. At the end of the day, it’s about reducing costs and dependence on ‘rental’ staff. Several staffing companies had raised a number of objections to the joint procurement and requested that it be redone.

Eva Brunnberg, CEO of Dedicare Sweden, said, “Dedicare is very happy to have been given renewed confidence in supplying healthcare personnel to the regions. We are proud to be able to help the regions in their important tasks by supplementing their own workforce with our competent consultants.”

One of the changes in the new agreement is that suppliers are required to pay occupational pensions and insurance for their consultants. 

Dedicare commented on this change and said it is part of a collective agreement and has pursued the issue of good conditions for everyone who works within the regions, even those who have chosen the consultant role, for several years.

In a statement, the Swedish healthcare staffing firm stated, “In the new agreement, the regions show that they take responsibility for all who work in the hospitals being offered good conditions, which we welcome.”

The agreement is expected to enter into force in January 2024 and each region will join as their current agreement expires. Dedicare said it continues to deliver on existing regional agreements. Dedicare already has agreements with 20 out of 21 regions.