The XXI edition took place in Santander on 11 November 2026 at the Palacio de La Magdalena, with results split between ICAP-ranked clinical categories and additional awards. Gaceta Médica and the Cátedra de Innovación y Gestión Sanitaria de la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos organised the event. Their awards promote quality improvement and the integration of care standards in Spanish hospitals and health centres. The competition covers public and private providers, recognising hospitals as well as their services, units and care processes nationwide. Cantabria president María José Sáenz de Buruaga presented the principal award to the Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla.
A record 542 candidacies came from healthcare centres in 13 autonomous communities. Separately, El Diario Montañés reported that 85 hospital centres had submitted merits for the 2026 awards. The results name recipients in 27 of the 28 ICAP categories; no hospital is listed for the award for best digestive pathology service. Introduced in 2026, the hospital ranking uses results from the preceding five years. Valdecilla led, ahead of Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón. Fundación Jiménez Díaz and Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela followed. Valdecilla entered 15 categories, won three awards and received three honourable mentions. It had previously won the Best High-Complexity Hospital award in 2024.
The regional award recipients include administrations in Murcia, Andalusia and Aragon. A separate account of the government’s challenge to Valencia’s 2026 budget is available in this budget report.
Special awards and best hospitals
- Best Project for the Humanisation of Healthcare, supported by Gilead: Hospital El Bierzo.
- Best Regional Vaccination Plan, supported by HIPRA: Consejería de Salud Región de Murcia.
- Best Regional Strategy for Rare Diseases, supported by CSL: Consejería de Presidencia, Sanidad y Emergencias de la Junta de Andalucía.
- Best Approach to the Social Determinants of Health in Autonomous Communities, supported by MSD: Consejería de Sanidad del Gobierno de Aragón.
- Best Medium-Complexity Hospital: Hospital Universitario Infanta Elena.
- Best High-Complexity Hospital: Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla.
Valdecilla also won Best Oncology Service and Best Pulmonary Hypertension Unit, taking its total to three awards at the ceremony. Its cardiology service had received BiC recognition for three consecutive years. The infectious-disease and HIV/AIDS services had each done the same, so all three were excluded from that year’s competition under the awards’ rules.
ICAP category recipients
The clinical categories use the Índice de Calidad Asistencial al Paciente (ICAP). The index is calculated through multivariable analysis of data submitted in self-assessment questionnaires by hospitals and primary-care centres, then assessed by a national committee of experts.
- Best Pneumology Service: Hospital Universitario de La Princesa.
- Best Hospital Pharmacy Service: Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón.
- Best Cardiology Service: Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago.
- Best Microbiology Service: Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón.
- Best Digestive Pathology Service: no recipient named in the results.
- Best Dermatology Service, supported by Leo Pharma: Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón.
- Best Pain Unit: Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe.
- Best Oncological Pain Unit, supported by Medtronic: Hospital Universitari I Poliècnic la Fe.
- Best Endocrinology and Nutrition Service: Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón.
- Best Infectious Diseases Service, supported by Shionogi: Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón.
- Best Sterilisation and Reprocessing Service, supported by B. Braun and Matachana: Hospital Universitario Rey Juan Carlos.
- Best Hospital Pharmacy Service in Oncology: Hospital Universitario Rey Juan Carlos.
- Best Haematology and Haemotherapy Service, supported by Johnson & Johnson: Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Pontevedra.
- Best Pulmonary Hypertension Unit, supported by MSD: Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla.
- Best Intensive Care Medicine/ICU Service, supported by Shionogi: Hospital Universitari I Poliècnic la Fe.
- Best Preventive Medicine and Public Health Service, supported by GSK: Fundación Jiménez Díaz - UTE.
- Best Neurology Service: Hospital Universitario Cruces - OSI EEC.
- Best Obesity Service: Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz.
- Best Oncology Service: Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla.
- Best Psychiatry and Mental Health Service, supported by Johnson & Johnson: Hospital Universitario Cruces - OSI EEC.
- Best Internal Medicine Unit: Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón.
- Best Sleep Unit, supported by Air Liquide: Hospital Universitario La Zarzuela.
- Best Emergency Service: Hospital General de Villalba.
- Best Schizophrenia Unit, supported by ROVI: Hospital Universitario Cruces - OSI EEC.
- Best HIV/AIDS Unit: Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón.
- Best Urology Service: Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz.
- Best Integrated Primary Care Organisation: Hospital Universitario Vinalopó.
- Best Primary Care Health Centre: Centro de Salud LOS ALPES.
The Complejo Hospitalario de Pontevedra’s Hematology and Hemotherapy Service received the award in its category. The health area had nine finalist positions. The hospital itself was a finalist for Best High-Complexity Hospital, while its primary-care organisation was a finalist in the integrated-organisation category.
