The Fifth International Conference on  Patient Safety has been organised within the programme of activities established by the Spanish Presidency of the European Union and will be held in Madrid on the 3rd and 4th of June 2010. The objective of this conference is to present international and national experiences in the prevention of infections associated with healthcare (IRAS) and antimicrobial resistance (RAM). We will provide updates on the relevant developments as they occur

The Healthcare Planning and Quality Office of the Ministry of Health of Social Policy has published the Annual Report on the Audit Plan 2009  on the website of the Quality Agency, in the Clinical Excellence/Audit Centres & Services section. The Audit Plan, implemented by the Quality Agency of the National Health System, supports the process of teaching accreditation for specialised training in health sciences and the process of designation of the Reference Centres and Units of the National Health System (CSUR-SNS)

The Quality Agency of the National Health System (SNS) is disseminating the document, Recommendations, by means of a postal mailing list and through the website of the Ministry of Health and Social Policy. From a structural and organisational point of view, “Hospital Maternity” is understood as the space where multidisciplinary care is offered to the mother, to the newborn and to the family during labour and childbirth, with facilities, installations and the equipment necessary for the activity estimated by the multiprofessional team, ensuring appropriate conditions of safety, quality and efficiency in the performance of the activity

Results of the National Sexual Health Survey 2009

Photos of the awards ceremony of the Prizes for Quality in the National Health System 2008 

Special Bulletin on the occasion of the Prizes for Quality in the National Health System

The Interactive Application for consulting the historical series 1997 – 2007 of the Statistics on Inpatient Healthcare Establishments (ESCRI) is now available. Also available is the report with the new questionnaires on the reform of these statistics

The  Public Health Expenditure Statistics have been updated with figures for 2007, together with the document relating to the General Methodology used

The translations into English of the documents on quality and safety standards and recommendations for Maternity Hospitals and Patients with Multiple Chronic Conditions Units have been published on the Quality Agency website in the section on Clinical Excellence / Care Units / Standards and Recommendations:

• Hospital Care for Childbirth: Standards and Recommendations for Hospital Maternity Units
• Unit for Highly Complex Patients with Multiple Chronic Conditions: Standards and Recommendations

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The Primary Care Management of Talavera is launching an information campaign on patient safety (La Cerca, 17 January 2010)

The National Paraplegics’ Hospital in Toledo is developing a programme which prevents errors in dosage prescription (Press Notes, Regional Government of Castile-La Mancha, 18 December 2009)

Surgical checklist 'saves lives' (BBC news, Health, 14 January 2009)

• The European Commission has published the 2010 Working Schedule for the Development of the Second Community Health Programme. Proposals must address important Public Health problems in Europe and be in line with the priorities of the Commission, ensuring a significant impact on a European rather than a national level. The deadline for submitting proposals is 19 March 2010

• The Latin American Science and Technology for Development Programme (CYTED Programme) has opened its annual public call for CYTED Actions. The Call will remain open from 1 February up to 8 April at 17:00 hr (local time, Madrid, Spain). More information