Healthcare and Play Therapy will accompany oncology children in four hospitals

The Community of Madrid, through the Regional Ministry of Health, the Madrid Health Service (SERMAS), and the Juegaterapia Foundation, have signed an agreement to improve the quality of life of underage oncology patients through accompaniment activities and other actions in pediatric spaces of public hospitals. The agreement was signed on September 16, 2026, and is published in the Official Gazette of the Community of Madrid (BOCM) number 248, dated October 17, 2026, in section I.D of the announcements of the Regional Ministry of Health, with the official reference BOCM-20261017-10. It will be in effect for four years and will not generate financial obligations for the regional Administration.

The agreement is based on the principle of humanization of the health organization set forth in article 2.3.l) of Law 12/2001, of December 21, on Health Planning of the Community of Madrid, and on the competencies of the General Directorate of Humanization, Care, and Patient Safety. The text acknowledges that the II Health Care Humanization Plan 2022-2025 is no longer in effect, but frames the initiative within the comprehensive patient care model that the Ministry maintains as part of the public service. Furthermore, the document emphasizes that the collaboration of foundations and patient associations with hospitals “has been common practice over the years” and is now being provided with legal instrumentation.

Play Car, Kit Pelones Jugones, and workshops two days a week

The objective of the agreement is patients under 18 years of age with oncological diseases undergoing treatment or admitted to SERMAS centers, as well as their family members and close associates. The activities will be carried out by volunteer or non-volunteer personnel previously trained by the foundation, always in coordination with the Pediatric Oncology and Children’s Hemato-Oncology Services and with the psychosocial resources already existing in each hospital (pediatric psycho-oncology, social work, and accredited associations).

The planned actions are:

• Visits to the rooms of the Children’s Oncology wards with the Play Car, a cart equipped with a television, console, and games.
• Free delivery of the Kit Pelones Jugones, including a Baby Pelón and a tablet or a PlayStation console according to each patient’s preference, designed for those newly diagnosed with cancer.
• Workshops with board games, crafts, coloring activities, and storytelling, designed for those who, due to age or preference, do not use video game consoles, with a minimum frequency of two days per week in each center.
• Decoration with vinyls on walls, floors, and ceilings, and the provision of decorative furniture in pediatric rooms and other spaces intended for pediatric patients, especially those in oncology.

Four public hospitals and a joint monitoring commission

Annex I of the agreement limits its scope to four SERMAS centers:

• 12 de Octubre University Hospital.
• Niño Jesús University Children’s Hospital.
• Gregorio Marañón General University Hospital.
• La Paz University Hospital.

The list may be expanded or reduced by agreement of the parties through an addendum. The occupation of spaces shall be limited to what is essential and shall not affect healthcare assistance, nor shall it imply a permanent transfer or the transfer of real rights.

Control corresponds to a joint monitoring commission formed by a representative of the Ministry of Health —who presides—, one from SERMAS, and one from the foundation. It shall be established within the first month after signing, shall meet once a year on an ordinary basis, and may be convened extraordinarily with 72 hours’ notice, or 24 hours in case of urgency. The foundation must present its action proposal for the following year in December and submit an annual report of the activities carried out and their cost before May 15.

At no cost to the Community and with child protection control

The third clause establishes that the execution of the agreement will not generate economic obligations for the Community of Madrid nor for SERMAS: the foundation will provide the resources, with an estimated annual amount of 189,085.77 euros, VAT included. The foundation’s personnel act under a legal bond with the foundation, without a contractual relationship with the Administration, and their work will be complementary and in no case shall it replace that of healthcare professionals; Law 1/2015, of February 24, on Volunteering in the Community of Madrid applies to them.

Regarding child protection, Organic Law 8/2021, of June 4, on the comprehensive protection of children and adolescents against violence applies: before the start of the activity, the foundation must provide a responsible declaration stating that it possesses the negative certificates from the Central Registry of Sexual Offenders and Human Trafficking for all personnel who deal with minors. Any prior or subsequent record will imply the immediate end of their participation. The agreement is administrative in nature and is governed by articles 47 to 53 of Law 40/2015, of October 1, and by Decree 48/2019, of June 10.

The signatures correspond to the Minister of Health, Fátima Matute Teresa; the Vice Minister of Health and Director General of SERMAS, Laura Gutiérrez Barreno; and the president of the Juegaterapia Foundation, Mónica Elena Esteban Morán. The entity is a private non-profit foundation registered in the state-level Registry of Foundations under number 1056, with its address at calle Núñez de Balboa 56 in Madrid and NIF G-86557097.

The agreement establishes a stable legal framework for a collaboration that until now depended on the goodwill of each center: four years, extendable for up to four more, with a monitoring commission, an annual report, and a child protection protocol. For the families of children with cancer, the result is a regulated right of access to play and companionship within the hospital, coordinated with clinical teams and at no cost to the regional treasury.

Source: Official Gazette of the Community of Madrid, no. 248, of October 17, 2026, section I.D (Announcements of the Ministry of Health), page 178 (official reference: BOCM-20261017-10).