HSE disregarding procurement rules on goods and services

The HSE has shown widespread disregard for procurement rules when buying goods and services, according to a report from the Comptroller and Auditor General.

An analysis of a sample 100 purchases at three hospitals and three local health offices found that in 36% of cases, appropriate procurement processes were not followed. The value of the purchases in question was more than €1m, representing almost half (47%) of the value of items purchased in the sample.

The C&AG’s finding is particularly significant against a backdrop of an overall spend by the HSE of almost €1.6bn on goods and services in 2013.