The actual procurement process

Procurement in the Region of Southern Denmark is based on the involvement of users in the description of needs. Total cost consideration must also be taken into account in all procurements/purchase decisions. Region of Southern Denmark equipment procurements will therefore always be conducted by balancing the economic and qualitative aspects.

User involvement in the description of needs is specifically achieved by the purchasing manager at Medicoteknik, who will establish a user group in accordance with the description provided in the information leaflet for user groups associated with the medical equipment procurement. The composition of a user group can be anything from a single equipment manager from the clinical department to a regional user group with representatives from all hospitals. For procurements of a single medical device, the information leaflet will be used as more of a checklist. It will be followed to a closer degree when large regional user groups are involved. Multi-regional or nationwide user groups can also be established with representatives from all receiving Regions, when this is deemed appropriate. 

In addition to representatives from the various clinical departments, user group composition will also include technical experts and commercially/legally competent employees from Medicoteknik. Representatives from hygiene and risk consulting, the technical department and the IT department etc. will also be involved when relevant.

The need description for the equipment for procurement will include consideration of factors such as:

Clinical area of application and functional requirements
Patient safety, ergonomics, working environment and hygiene
Training requirements for users and technicians
Service and maintenance
Total cost consideration is not on the sole basis of the economy of the equipment purchase price itself. It also takes into account the cost of operation and maintenance, as well as the cost of proprietary consumables over the equipment’s lifetime.

Medicoteknik's regional organisation works in close proximity with clinics to ensure that the individual hospital unit/hospital department is considered, while also ensuring consideration for the Region’s economies of scale through objective, professional dialogue all the way around.

The dialogue is supported by the management of all procurement projects in 'PeRMit', where information is available on various key data, timetables, people with responsibility, user group representatives, etc.

The legal status of the Region of Southern Denmark is that of a publicly-owned company, which means that it has a duty to put all equipment procurements up for tender as a transparent process in a manner that ensures that all interested suppliers are treated equally. Depending on the scope and amounts of money involved this takes place in three categories, as required by applicable legislation.