Updates

In October 2023, Malta’s hospitals’ concession agreement with a private consortium was rescinded by the law courts and courts of appeal. This ruling confirmed an earlier judgement from February 2023 that saw all government contracts awarded to the consortium annulled and the management of three large public hospitals in Malta and Gozo return to the government within a three-month transition period. The management of these state hospitals had been outsourced to private contractors in previous years against the backdrop of increased private sector participation in the Maltese health system and government efforts to establish collaborations with private actors. However, governance concerns and the failed fulfilment of contractual obligations have led to the privatisation agreements being challenged in court and scrutinised by the Maltese National Audit Office, ultimately leading to their annulment.