On Tuesday, VGR sent out a press release about the audit firm KPMG being chosen as an external auditor after the Millennium scandal. The press release states, among other things:
“The choice of supplier for the assignment has mainly taken place with regard to the requirements that the supplier is an impartial and independent party that has not had any cooperation with VGR regarding the Millennium system”.
“The review is part of our work to ensure that we learn lessons for the future,” regional director Håkan Sandahl wrote in the press release.
Strategic partner
The American company Oracle is behind the healthcare information system Millennium. A company with which KPMG has been a strategic partner for over 30 years. Both Oracle and KPMG write that on their respective websites.
They both also write that they have globally implemented over 1,000 successful projects together.
– They have a global alliance partner agreement, but they have not had any assignments that have to do with Oracle in KPMG Sweden. They have never had it, and have investigated it, so we therefore see them as independent, says Ann-Charlotte Järnström, finance director at VGR.
But is it appropriate to choose a consulting company that nevertheless has such a strong relationship with the audited company?
– But from what we understand, they don’t have very many collaborations. In Sweden, they have no collaborations.
Independent partner
In a written comment to Gothenburg Post KPMG confirms that they are cooperating with Oracle internationally. In an email to the newspaper, KPMG’s Swedish communications manager Johanna Westin writes:
“Oracle has several alliance partners globally, KPMG is one of them, something that our client is informed about and has taken into account when choosing a supplier for this assignment”.
Review is expected to cost SEK 3.7 million
The external review will cost the Västra Götaland region at least SEK 3.7 million.
According to the agreement with the consulting firm KPMG, the maximum amount for the review is set at five million kroner.
Millennium began to be introduced at, among others, Södra Älvsborg Hospital in Borås in mid-November, but was stopped after only three days due to technical problems and loud protests from the staff.
A first draft of the review should be ready as early as December 10.