Santander has been selected to host the 43rd edition of the National Congress of the Spanish Society for Healthcare Quality (SECA) in 2027. This decision is a testament to the dedication and collaborative efforts of professionals from the Cantabrian Health Service (SCS) and the Cantabrian Society for Healthcare Quality (CanQa).
The choice of Santander comes after the impressive performance of the Cantabrian delegation at the recent congress held in Gijón, where the University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla stood out by winning the award for Best Communication of the Congress and the award for Best Communication in the area of Quality Management.
The winning project, titled ‘Building value with Lean Healthcare: eight years of healthcare transformation in a tertiary hospital’, was selected from over 800 proposals submitted from across Spain. Led by the Quality Unit team, with Mª Concepción Fariñas as the primary author, along with Ana Mª Ruiz, Virginia Flor, Leticia Calvo, Erick Alfonso Lino, and María Ángeles Ballesteros, the project is notable for its ambitious, cross-cutting approach. It aims to move beyond traditional service-based views to redesign the hospital experience based on the actual journey of the patient.
Over the past eight years, Valdecilla has implemented Lean methodology to redesign care flow in ten key areas, effectively eliminating waits and tasks that do not add value. This system has led to the creation and improvement of vital protocols, such as those for severe trauma (adult, paediatric, and obstetric), stroke codes, and processes in the surgical block and maternity unit. The results of this transformation have had a direct and measurable impact on health outcomes and public perception.
For instance, the reorganisation of the Trauma Code has successfully reduced the average length of stay and decreased mortality from 5.8% to 3.6%. Additionally, overall patient experience and satisfaction have reached an impressive Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 76, rising to 90 in critical care areas. Four services within the hospital have already achieved the demanding international quality certification ISO 9001.
Beyond the management tools employed, the true success and innovation of this project lie in the cultural shift achieved through the extensive involvement of staff. A total of 338 professionals from various categories participated directly in 15 improvement groups, alongside over 600 workers and 24 patients who contributed their insights in various workshops. They identified areas for improvement and made the change possible.
“Therefore, the award belongs to the professionals of Valdecilla,” emphasised Mª Concepción Fariñas, head of the Quality Unit. “The improvement of healthcare is built day by day by each and every person who treats, cares for, and supports patients and their families. The Quality team facilitates and coordinates, but what the jury recognised is the commitment of the hospital's professionals, sustained over eight years. Because better care is not found; it is built together,” she concluded.
This clinical and management strength will serve as the main host for the upcoming congress in 2027, which SECA will co-organise with the Cantabrian Society for Healthcare Quality (CanQa). Transforming Santander into the national capital of quality and patient safety will provide an excellent opportunity to showcase the talent of the Cantabrian Health Service teams and attract hundreds of experts from across the country to the city.
