Training Workshop for Network of Patients for Patient Safety held on 25 February, organized by the Spanish National Health Service (SNS) Quality Agency. 

Start of 10th edition of risk management and patient safety improvement course.

Follow-up meeting of Bacteriemia Zero Project to be held in Barcelona on 22 April.

Presentation of “Strategic steps for promotion of safe practices in the SNS”, at the meeting of the Infectious Diseases Working Group of the Spanish Society for Intensive and Critical Care Medicine and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC) held in A Coruña (Spain) on 19-20 February.

2008 SNS Quality Awards (3rd edition) called by the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs. The Awards will be granted for Improvements in Overall Care Quality, Best Clinical Practice, Transparency, and Quality and Equality.

Meeting of the Follow-up Committee of the Palliative Care Strategy held on 12 March. Two years after approval of the Strategy, it is now at the evaluation stage. The new IT application for data collection was presented and debate ensued on the new evidence available and on whether or not the present objectives should be modified in light of this new evidence.

The papers presented at the “4th International Conference on Patient Safety: In search of best clinical practice for safer healthcare” are now available on the Patient Safety website.

The Appraisal: Women’s Health Action Plan (2004-2007) of the Department of Health of the Regional Government of Cantabria has received the 2009 Federica Montseny Award, launched this year by the Women’s Health Observatory of the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs. The Observatory will present this Award, which is worth €3,000, to the best paper on gender and health at the biannual congresses of the Spanish Society for Public Health and Health Administration (SESPAS).

Publication of the 2006 DRG Cost Weights in the SNS and the corresponding notes on methodology.

Clinical Coding Bulletin num. 31 corresponding to Vascular and Interventional Radiology is now available for consultation. February 2009.  

Spanish National Deaths Statistics. Now available in a new manual that signals the improvements made in application of consultations and application forms for access.

Spanish National Health Survey. Anonymous microdata for the period 1987 to 2006 may now be downloaded directly from the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs’ website (Spanish | English)

[+ Highlights]

Spain to lead a WHO pilot project aimed at reducing ICU infections.
(Diario Médico, 10 March 2009).

Health Ministry creates Network of Patients Training for Patient Safety, within the framework of the Spanish National Health System (SNS) (Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs. Press Office, 26 February 2009).

Government to mobilize public health system to prevent unwanted pregnancies (El País, 3 March 2009).

[+ News]