Västfastigheter is the region's property manager and today has an independent responsibility for all the region's new investments, such as the new and redevelopment of new hospitals and healthcare buildings.

SVT Nyheter Väst has previously talked about how the new children's hospital at Östra has become almost twice as expensive as calculated, how Västfastigheter broke the law when the building was procured and how Västfastigheter's officials have on several occasions drank alcohol at the taxpayers' expense.

Our disclosures led the region to conduct an independent review, which found several serious deficiencies at Västfastigheter. This is the basis for the new proposal.

The responsibility moves upwards

The proposal means that a special department within the Group office will take over responsibility for “owner-managed investments”.

This is about all new buildings of hospitals or health care buildings and major renovations. The Group office has overall responsibility for the region and is a transfer of Västfastigheter. So the proposal means that responsibility is moved one level higher up, closer to the regional management.

"No gatekeeper"

As a reason, it is stated, among other things, that Västfastigheter today has a consultative role for the construction companies and is not then a “resource for the region-wide perspective and not a force (gatekeeper) who questions the demands of the operations. Nor does Västfastigheter have its own financial incentive to keep down the costs of, for example, feasibility studies, supply buildings and evacuation. "

Västfastigheter has thus not been good enough to question the construction companies' costs, which we reported when we went through the invoices for the construction of the new children's hospital.

Decisions will come next year

At a meeting on December 10, members of the region's ownership committee requested more time to decide on the proposal. A decision is expected at the beginning of next year.