How self-government in Catalonia has integrated private not for profit care in the public healthcare service

Abstract

This study aims to analyze how the hospital policy of the Catalan government during the period 1980-2020 was adapted to the specific situation in Catalonia and how it differs from previous policies put in place by the central Spanish government. The methodological approach is to present evidence found through analysis of official documents and study of changes in hospital’s affiliations during that particular period. The main contributions are to indicate that the legal status of the hospitals that, in 1980, formed part of the network of hospitals that collaborated with the public system (XHUP in its acronym in Catalan), has changed substantially when compared with the current situation today in 2020. Each case has been studied individually. The changes show a policy that keeps local government involved in healthcare matters and improves the overall efficiency of hospitals.

Keywords

• hospitals
• hospital policy
• hospital history
• healthcare in catalonia