Cantabria opens for public consultation the creation of Advanced Palliative Care Units

The Cantabrian Health Service (SCS) has submitted for the joint process of hearing and public information the draft Order creating the Advanced Palliative Care Units and regulating their organization and operation. The decision was formalized through a resolution signed on September 7, 2026, by the managing director of the SCS, Luis Miguel Carretero Alcántara, and published in the Official Gazette of Cantabria on September 14, 2026 (reference CVE-2026-7119, page 45795).

The process is supported by Article 51.3 of Cantabria Law 5/2018, of November 22, on the Legal Regime of the Government, the Administration, and the Institutional Public Sector, in relation to Article 133.2 of Law 39/2015, of October 1, on the Common Administrative Procedure of Public Administrations. This opens the door for any interested party to submit allegations before the final approval of the regulation.

Deadline and form of participation

The deadline for submitting contributions will be ten business days, counted from the day following the publication of the resolution in the official gazette. During this period, any person or organization may submit in writing the allegations they deem appropriate regarding the content of the project.

Contributions may be submitted through several channels:

• At the Managing Directorate of the Cantabrian Health Service, at J. Gutiérrez Solana Street, 4, 1st floor, 39011 Santander.
• At any of the locations established in Article 134.8 of Cantabria Law 5/2018.
• Through the Cantabria Transparency Portal, in the designated box, accessible at participacion.cantabria.es.

Consultation of the draft text

The full text of the draft Order can be consulted both at the headquarters of the SCS Managing Directorate and on the Transparency Portal of the Government of Cantabria. The resolution also provides for its simultaneous publication in the Official Gazette of Cantabria and the aforementioned portal, guaranteeing public access to the information throughout the process.

Scope of the new regulation

The future Order will create the Advanced Palliative Care Units within the SCS care network, a mechanism aimed at improving the care of terminally ill patients and the support provided to their families throughout the community. The regulation of its organization and operation seeks to provide these specialized teams with a structure and homogeneous criteria.

The opening of this participation period represents a significant step toward the consolidation of palliative care in Cantabria, as it allows professionals, patients, family members, and third-sector entities to contribute to the final design of a service with high human and healthcare impact. Once the contributions have been collected and assessed, the competent Department may approve the Order that will give final shape to these units.

Source: Official Gazette of Cantabria, no. 178, September 14, 2026, page 45795 (official reference: CVE-2026-7119).