The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has separately authorized private hospitals in Victoria and in Queensland to cooperate with their state health agencies, public hospitals, and each other, as they prepare for and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
State governments are seeking to boost the capacity of their health systems during the current health crisis by integrating the operations of public and private hospitals.
These two ACCC authorizations will help facilitate this by allowing private and public hospitals in each state, and state governments, to work together; for example by discussing expected demand for services and available resources, sharing and jointly procuring equipment, medicines and other resources, allocating patients between hospitals, or sharing staff.
“There is a clear public interest in health authorities and hospitals responding to this pandemic in a cooperative, transparent and efficient way,” ACCC Chair Rod Sims said.
“These authorisations will help ensure that hospitals and health authorities in Victoria and Queensland can take necessary steps to provide coordinated and consistent care for what may be a significant rise in patients.”
The applications follow the Commonwealth Government’s recent direction for all hospitals to temporarily suspend the majority of elective surgery to free up resources to deal with expected surges in demand from COVID-19 patients.
Full Content: Bloomberg
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
T-Mobile’s Acquisition of Ka’ena Corporation Receives FCC Approval
Apr 26, 2024 by
CPI
UK Regulator Announces Two New Senior Executive Appointments
Apr 26, 2024 by
CPI
Paramount Global and Skydance Media Near Merger Deal, Eyeing CEO Change
Apr 26, 2024 by
CPI
BHP Unveils £31bn Mining Megamerger Proposal with Anglo American
Apr 25, 2024 by
nhoch@pymnts.com
ByteDance Prefers Shutdown Over Sale of TikTok Amid US Ban Threats
Apr 25, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Economics of Criminal Antitrust
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Navigating Economic Expert Work in Criminal Antitrust Litigation
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
The Increased Importance of Economics in Cartel Cases
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
A Law and Economics Analysis of the Antitrust Treatment of Physician Collective Price Agreements
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Information Exchange In Criminal Antitrust Cases: How Economic Testimony Can Tip The Scales
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI