Streamlined rules, stronger safeguards
On Tuesday 3rd November 2026, the Catalan Government approved a new decree to simplify administrative procedures for healthcare centres and services across Catalonia. The reform updates Decree 151/2017 and applies to both public and private facilities, aiming to reduce bureaucratic delays without weakening health controls. The Department of Health will maintain its powers to verify, validate, and inspect all centres, ensuring that care quality and patient safety remain protected. The changes focus on reducing duplicate documentation and clarifying processes that have previously caused delays in opening or modifying facilities.
Fewer documents, faster processing
Under the new framework, healthcare centres will no longer need to resubmit technical documentation already provided for installation authorisation, as long as it remains valid. For projects carried out by the Catalan Health Service, a technical report from the competent infrastructure unit will replace full documentation requirements. Changes that do not affect core operating conditions, such as updating a centre’s name or management, can now be processed through notification rather than requiring prior authorisation. Only substantial modifications will still need advance approval.
"We are moving from a model based on prior control of documentation to one focused on verification and inspection after authorisation," said Yolanda Ortega, head of the Healthcare Planning Service at the Generalitat, during the decree’s presentation.
Ten-year renewals and digital processing
Operating authorisation will remain mandatory before any healthcare activity begins. Centres will now renew their authorisation every ten years via a responsible declaration confirming they still meet technical and health requirements. Already authorised centres will have up to twelve months to adapt to new obligations once the decree enters into force, which is expected twenty days after publication in the DOGC (Official Gazette of the Catalan Government). All procedures will be processed digitally through Canal Empresa, using standardised forms. A two-year period is set for full digital integration, including structured data formats and easier access to existing administrative records.
Clearer rules for consultations and staff
The decree clarifies definitions for medical consultations, those run by other healthcare professionals, and multi-consultation spaces. In multi-consultation facilities, each individual unit must hold its own authorisation. Consultations will not be required to produce annual quality, training, or onboarding plans but must still uphold all other care guarantees. The centre owner remains responsible for patient safety, quality, and medical device oversight.
"The changes have no impact on patients' care, they only affect centre owners," Ortega stressed, adding that patient rights, linguistic access, and data protection will continue to be enforced.
Centres must ensure all professionals hold valid qualifications and registration, and maintain updated staff registries and individual professional files. Those with inpatient facilities will still require formal authorisation to close, to protect patient continuity.
Cost savings and efficiency gains
An impact assessment estimates the reform will reduce administrative costs for healthcare providers from €38.99 million to €33.37 million annually, a 14.41% decrease. According to a report in La Razón published on 3rd November 2026, this could translate to savings of around €6 million in administrative expenses. Processing times for applications are expected to fall by 30%, helping address a 150% increase in authorisation requests over the past nine years. The reform forms part of the Catalan government’s broader anti-bureaucracy plan, aiming to modernise public services while safeguarding healthcare standards.
Sources: Govern de Catalunya, Generalitat de Catalunya, hipra.com, larazon.es.
