SVT's Assignment Review and SVT Nyheter Skåne is working on an ongoing review of the IT project Vårdexpressen, the region's major digitalisation of primary care. The company behind the product has won contracts in Region Skåne and Region Västra Götaland worth a total of SEK 1 billion.

On Thursday, SVT's reporters interviewed Linda Fridh and Per Lärka, representatives of Region Skåne.

"We were able to show that the region has treated the company in an important and sensitive procurement," says Linda Fridh, reporter.

Stops collaboration

The following day, the message came that Region Skåne immediately terminates the cooperation with the company and stops all payments to the contractor.

"When information on suspected irregularities (...) has emerged, Region Skåne has decided to immediately stop an ongoing pilot and appoint an external review," Region Skåne writes in a press release.

Major agreement

Care Express is a digital tool where healthcare applicants are allowed to enter their symptoms and personal data, either via a screen at the health center or from home via the primary care online.

The tool acts as a decision support for the healthcare staff when it comes to diagnosis and medication.

Region Skåne's agreement with the company is worth a total of SEK 400 million and was signed in eight years. Region Skåne also handled the procurement with authorization from VGR, the Västra Götaland region, where the contract is worth about 600 million.

The company's digital tools would be introduced on 30 percent of Sweden's publicly owned health centers.

Close relative

During the interview on Thursday, SVT's reporters presented documents to the regional management and asked questions, among other things, about a close relative, to the regional director Alf Jönsson, who has worked for the company.

Alf Jönsson said in a press release on Friday that the relative "had a limited assignment for the company in question".

- We have shown several connections between representatives of Region Skåne and the company, says Per Lärka, reporter.

Seeked the contractor

SVT Nyheter has sought the company's CEO for a comment that Region Skåne is canceling the collaboration.

- I'm on an airplane. I'll be back with a comment later, says the CEO.

The report will be sent shortly in SVT's Assignment review.