The ACCC has issued a final determination granting authorisation to the South Australian Department for Health and Wellbeing (the Department) to permit them to coordinate with various health service providers, in order to maximise the effectiveness of their response to the continued COVID-19 pandemic.
The Department sought authorisation to allow coordination between itself (including public hospitals and other public healthcare facilities) and various participating healthcare providers, with a view to having those providers supplying resources and services to the overall response to issues arising from COVID-19.
Authorisation is granted until 24 June 2023.
The arrangements are the same as those previously authorised by the ACCC on 13 August 2020. The previous authorisation expired on 30 September 2021.
The ACCC considers the arrangements are likely to result in significant public benefits through the enhanced coordination and improved responsiveness of the Department’s healthcare systems to COVID-19. The ACCC considers that the Conduct is likely to result in some public detriment over the short term because it is likely to reduce competition in the supply of hospital healthcare services to certain patients. However, a number of factors mean that any reduction in competition will be limited and not likely to continue in the longer term, including the oversight provided by the Department and the transparency provided by a reporting condition of authorisation.
Further information about the ACCC’s decision is available on the ACCC’s South Australia Private Healthcare COVID-19 arrangements.