The ministerial order for its constitution has been published and the body will be operational within three months.

The Ministry of Health has published the ministerial order establishing the Observatory against Healthcare Fraud and Corruption, a body specifically tasked with monitoring and proposing actions in this area.

TDB keeps you informed. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Ministry of Health

The purpose of the Observatory is to design a strategy to combat fraud and corruption in the health sector and to continuously promote prevention mechanisms, a system of alerts and collaboration with other bodies and entities.

The Ministry of Health is working in the field of integrity and transparency in two ways: the drafting of a strategy for the fight against corruption in the health sector; and the creation of this observatory to promote and coordinate this strategy.

Along these lines, and with the aim of incorporating an integrity policy in the public health sector with strong prevention mechanisms against corruption in the health sector, it is considered a priority to collaborate and actively participate in the Integrity System of the General State Administration (SIAGE) developed by the State Secretariat for Public Administration.

The operation and development of this body will be attended to with the material and personal resources of the Ministry so that its actions will not entail additional expenses to those foreseen in its budgetary allocations or an increase in public expenditure.

Chaired by the head of the Ministry, the Observatory will also be attended by the head of the State Secretariat for Health; the Undersecretary for Health; the head of the Directorate of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS); the National Institute for Health Management (INGESA); the Directorate General for the Common Portfolio of NHS Services and Pharmacy; and the Subdirectorate General for Cohesion and High Inspection of the National Health System.

Among the functions in the area of prevention will be to propose to the competent bodies in the Ministry the actions in the area of contracting it considers appropriate; to promote best practices in the area of transparency; to ensure that departmental staff are informed of the communications to be made in relation to the anti-corruption strategy and to promote the incorporation of specific courses on the subject in the Department’s Training Plan.

With regard to the alert system, improvements in the area of data quality will be proposed to the competent bodies in the Ministry; to promote the necessary tools for drawing up risk maps; to propose the systematisation of the monitoring of the Ministry’s contracts; to study possible conflicts of interest and propose legislative changes in order to avoid them; promoting awareness among Department staff of the Ministry’s information and complaint mailboxes; promoting the creation of systems for the recognition of best anti-fraud practices in the field of healthcare; coordinating relations with state, European or international bodies and units competent in anti-fraud policies; and proposing actions to the Department’s Services Inspectorate.

Finally, collaboration will be promoted with public or private entities or bodies that have oversight, supervision or control functions in matters of public procurement or the prevention of corruption.

Collaboration
The aim is to develop an intense calendar of collaboration with all those bodies and organisations that have been attributed, within our legal system, the functions of surveillance and monitoring of public procurement, as well as independent entities or organisations that work in the field of transparency, in our country or internationally, such as: the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC); the Independent Office for the Regulation and Supervision of Procurement (OIReScon); the National Anti-Fraud Coordination Service SNCA (under the IGAE); the Independent Authority for the Protection of the Informant, when constituted (AIPI); the State Network of Anti-Fraud Offices and Agencies; and independent authorities at regional and local level, such as the Anti-Fraud Office of Catalonia.

Contacts will also be established at European and international levels, such as the Commission itself, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), NEIWA (Network of European Integrity and Whistleblowing Authorities) and the European Healthcare Fraud and Corruption Network (EHFCN).