Information and Communication Technologies in the Spanish National Healthcare System – Current Status

Health Care In Spain And The Spanish National Healthcare System

In the Spanish Constitution, passed in 1978, there are three basic administrative levels: the National Administration (Central Government, that takes care of issues common to the whole country, for example, defense or foreign affairs); local administration (City Council, that takes care of issues at the city level, e.g. public transport); and an intermediate level, by the administrative division of the country into 17 autonomous regions and 2 autonomous cities (Ceuta and Melilla, in the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Africa). These communities (Comunidades Autónomas) were created to provide a greater degree of autonomy to the different regions that geographically and ethnically compose Spain, and that have quite different cultures and even spoken languages (what is known worldwide as Spanish is in fact the Castilian language, which coexists in Spain with Catalan, Basque, or Galician in some regions).

According to the Constitution, the provision of health care is a fundamental right of all citizens. The General Health Law 14/1986 regulates this constitutional right, according to the following principles (Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs, 2008):