The Ministry of Health creates the Observatory against Healthcare Fraud and Corruption

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.

The purpose of the Observatory is to design a strategy to fight fraud and corruption in the health sector and to continuously promote prevention mechanisms, an alert system 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 to fight corruption in the healthcare 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 field of public health with strong prevention mechanisms against corruption in the healthcare sector, it is considered a priority to collaborate and actively participate in the General State Administration's Integrity System (SIAGE) developed by the Secretary of State for Public Administration.

The operation and development of this body shall count on the material and personal resources of the Ministry, and therefore its actions shall not entail additional expenses to those foreseen in its budgetary allocations, nor an increase in public spending.

Chaired by the Minister, the Observatory will also be attended by the Secretary of State for Health; the Undersecretary for Health; the Director 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 for prevention will be to propose the actions regarding contracting that it considers appropriate to the competent bodies in the Ministry; as well as promoting best practices in transparency; ensuring that departmental staff are informed of the communications that must be made in relation to the anti-corruption strategy and promoting the incorporation of specific courses on the subject in the Department's Training Plan.

With regard to the alert system, improvements in data quality will be proposed to the competent bodies in the Ministry to promote the necessary tools for the preparation of 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; to promote awareness among the Department's staff of the Ministry's information and complaint mailboxes; to promote the creation of systems for the recognition of best anti-fraud practices in healthcare; to coordinate relations with state, European or international bodies and units competent in anti-fraud policies and to propose actions to the Department's Services Inspectorate.

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

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 oversight and monitoring of public procurement, as well as independent entities or organisations that work in transparency, in our country or internationally, such as: the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC); the Independent Office for the Regulation and Oversight of Procurement (OIReScon); the National Anti-Fraud Coordination Service SNCA (reporting to the IGAE); the Independent Authority for the Protection of Informants, when constituted (AIPI); the State Network of Anti-Fraud Offices and Agencies; and the 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).

Non official translation

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