Spain's Minister of Health Pledges to Reform Public-Private Healthcare Collaboration Amid Scandals

In a bold move signaling a significant shift in Spain's healthcare policy, Health Minister Mónica García announced the government's intentions to repeal Law 151997, which enabled profit-driven public-private partnerships in healthcare. This law, which was enacted during the José María Aznar administration, has come under scrutiny following recent revelations about unethical practices by certain private healthcare companies. In an interview with El País, García outlined plans for a new integrity law aimed at safeguarding the National Health System from predatory investment strategies. Set to be introduced at the start of 2026, the new legislation will restrict which entities can participate in healthcare management, thereby curtailing systems that prioritize profitability over patient care. "Our proposal will not ban public-private collaboration altogether but will prohibit private profit motives," García emphasized, indicating that the new framework will specifically exclude profit-oriented business models that have dominated the current landscape. This initiative follows a report by El País exposing directives from the CEO of the Ribera group, Pablo Gallart, that focused on avoiding unprofitable patients. García characterized the state of current public-private collaboration as a veritable "public-private parasite," where the foundational purpose of healthcare has been compromised. The upcoming law seeks to put an end to practices similar to those reported in institutions like Alzira, Torrejón, and the Jiménez Díaz Foundation, where management was reportedly steered by private operators whose systems prioritized economic optimization over patient welfare. She mentioned that the ministry is working diligently to finalize the text of the new integrity law, committing to present it to the Council of Ministers by early 2026. In a bold stance against corporate malpractice, García revealed plans to escalate the matter to the Prosecutor's Office, highlighting possible crimes that may have harmed patients due to profit-oriented decision-making. "We will act both as the Ministry and the Más Madrid political group to investigate potential harm against patients," she stated. Garcia urged Madrid's regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, to launch an inquiry into the practices of these private firms while expressing skepticism about Ayuso's motivations to do so, remarking, "We are not fools. This is a profound investigation that she must conduct if she were not an interested party." The minister accused the Community of Madrid of misrepresenting healthcare metrics and maintaining a waiting list system that inadvertently pushes patients towards private care facilities. García pointed out that while surgical waiting times appear favorable, the same cannot be said for consultations or diagnostic lists, which have surged. She cited alarming statistics showing that waiting lists in Madrid have doubled under Ayuso’s leadership, with around a million residents currently awaiting diagnostic tests and some enduring wait times exceeding six months. These figures, García insists, reflect a systemic issue exacerbated by incentives for referrals to private hospitals like Quirón and Torrejón, which reportedly employ economic selection techniques akin to those revealed in the Ribera scrutiny. As the push for reform gathers momentum, Minister Mónica García's intended legislation represents a proactive step towards restoring integrity and prioritizing patient care within Spain's public healthcare system. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2