Article 34 of Law 16/2003, of 28 May, on the cohesion and quality of the National Health System, provides that training and the development of the technical competence of healthcare professionals should be oriented to the improvement of the quality of the National Health System.

On the other hand, Law 44/2003 of 21 November of the organisation of the health professions regulates the basic aspects of the health professions entitled, in respect of their own or other self-employed activities, whether or not they are the profession is exercised in public health services as in the area of private health.

Article 36 of the law provides for the Diploma of Accreditation and Advanced Accreditation Diplomas as an instrument to certify the level of training achieved by a professional in a specific functional area of a particular profession or craft, in the interest of the accredited continuing training activities carried out by the person concerned in the relevant functional area.

The development of new figures for the recognition of the continuing training of qualified healthcare professionals is particularly relevant in terms of advancing the quality of such training, enhancing the relationship and consistency of continuing training activities and the setting up of programmes to strengthen work-related routes.

The system of accreditation of continuous training has already been developed by Royal Decree 1142/2007 of 31 August, determining the composition and functions of the Commission of Continuing Training of Professions. Health and the system of accreditation of continuing training, a standard that integrates the regulatory development of Chapter IV of Title II of Law 44/2003, of 21 November, concerning the continuous formation.

The establishment now of a regulatory development that allows for the articulation of Accreditation Diplomas and Advanced Accreditation Diplomas should be valued as a significant opportunity aimed at consolidating the value of the Continuous training as an effective and robust recognition element that helps to strengthen the capacity of the professional in the resolution of the problems of practice in a given functional area.

The Commission on Continuing Training for Health Professions, as referred to in Article 34.4.e) of Law 44/2003 of 21 November, has proposed the procedures, criteria and requirements for accreditation and certification. advanced accreditation of health professionals, the subject of this royal decree, having received a favorable report from the plenary of the Human Resources Commission of the National Health System. In the preparation of this royal decree, the Advisory Committee of the National Health System, the Plenary of the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System, as well as the Spanish Agency for Data Protection have been informed.

In its virtue, on the proposal of the Minister of Health, Social Services and Equality, with the prior approval of the Minister of Finance and Public Administrations, in agreement with the Council of State and after deliberation of the Council of Ministers at their meeting on 10 July 2015,

DISPONGO:

CHAPTER I

General character provisions

Article 1. Object and scope of application.

1. It is the object of this royal decree:

a) Regular Accreditation Diplomas and Advanced Accreditation Diplomas as instruments to certify the level of training achieved by a healthcare professional in a specific functional area of a particular profession or craft, in the interest of the accredited continuing training activities that the person concerned has developed in the relevant functional area.

b) Determine the criteria and procedure for the creation of the Accreditation Diplomas and Advanced Accreditation Diplomas.

c) Establish the requirements and procedure for obtaining and renewing the Accreditation Diplomas and Advanced Accreditation Diplomas.

2. This royal decree is applicable in respect of professional practice, both in public and private health services, to:

(a) Health professionals with a university degree from the branch of health sciences or with a degree of specialist in health sciences as referred to in Law 44/2003 of 21 November, of management of the professions health.

(b) Healthcare professionals referred to in the seventh additional provision of Law 33/2011 of 4 October, General Public Health.

Article 2. Definitions.

For the purposes of this royal decree, it is understood by:

(a) Accreditation Diploma: Credential certifying that the healthcare professional has achieved the competencies and continuing training requirements established in a specific functional area for a given period of time.

b) Advanced Accreditation Diploma: Credential certifying that the healthcare professional has achieved the advanced skills and the continuing training requirements established in a specific functional area that he/she admits and/or requires a higher qualification professional practice, for a specified period of time.

c) Functional area: Professional organizational space arising out of the pool of posts of a common nature in terms of the objective of work they develop, the specialization of the functions they have attributed and the characteristics of the professional activities that are assumed.

d) Accredited continuing training activity: This training activity which holds the credential of a recognised accredited body certifying the number of credits granted to such activity.

Article 3. General characteristics of the Accreditation Diplomas and Advanced Accreditation Diplomas.

1. The Accreditation Diplomas and Advanced Accreditation Diplomas shall be issued by public health administrations and shall be of official status and validity throughout the national territory.

These Diplomas will always be issued in Spanish, although in the autonomous communities with an official language they may be issued in a single document written in both languages and with the same type of letter of the same rank.

2. The design of the Diplomas shall include at least the following paragraphs:

(a) Health entitlement of the professional who holds it.

b) Denomination of the Diploma of Accreditation or of the Diploma of Advanced Accreditation.

c) Identification of the healthcare professional.

d) Period of validity of the Diploma.

3. The Accreditation Diplomas and Advanced Accreditation Diplomas will be valid for five years. However, the Commission on Human Resources of the National Health System (hereinafter the HR Commission), after a reasoned report from the Commission on Continuing Training of the National Health System (hereinafter 'CFCs'), may include in the proposal for a creation of a Diploma a lower term in attention to the characteristics of the functional area object to it.

4. The Diplomas of Accreditation and the Diplomas of Advanced Accreditation shall be of exclusive use by the professional who holds them.

5. These diplomas may not lead to confusion with the name of other diplomas, nor to the functions which, as provided for in the training programmes of each major and other implementing rules, are to be applied to graduates. Health Sciences specialists.

CHAPTER II

Creation of Accreditation Diplomas and Advanced Accreditation Diplomas

Article 4. Identification of the need for the creation of an Accreditation Diploma or an Advanced Accreditation Diploma.

The role of the CFC is to identify the need for the creation of a Diploma of Accreditation or an Advanced Accreditation Diploma in accordance with the provisions of Article 34.4.a) of Law 44/2003, of 21 November, and in Article 4.2.e of Royal Decree 1142/2007 of 31 August 2007 determining the composition and functions of the Continuing Training Commission for Health Professions and regulating the continuing training accreditation system.

Article 5. Creation of a Diploma of Accreditation or an Advanced Accreditation Diploma.

1. The need to create a Diploma of Accreditation or a Diploma of Advanced Accreditation should be justified by professional needs, technological developments, new care modalities, organizational needs of the administrations health care and/or quality criteria for the patient.

2. Identified the need for the creation of a Diploma of Accreditation or a Diploma of Advanced Accreditation, the CFC will formulate, in accordance with the provisions of article 7.1 of Royal Decree 1142/2007, of 31 August, a proposal of creation of the Diploma corresponding to the plenary session of the HR Commission, which will be submitted to the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System (hereinafter CISNS) for approval, in accordance with Articles 38 and 71 of Law 16/2003 of 28 May, of the cohesion and quality of the National Health System.

3. The CFCs proposal shall be accompanied by the justification for the need to create the Diploma of Accreditation or the Advanced Accreditation Diploma referred to in paragraph 1 and shall, of necessity, contain the following:

a) The title of the Diploma of Accreditation or the Diploma of Advanced Accreditation, delimiting, as clearly as possible, the proposed functional area and the competencies to be acquired.

b) The differential elements of the functional area identified with respect to other functional areas already defined and, where applicable, areas of specialties and/or pre-existing specific training areas.

c) The health professions that can access and obtain the Accreditation Diploma or the corresponding Advanced Accreditation Diploma.

d) A detailed and orderly description of the specific competence domains for performance in the relevant functional area and, if any, of the procedures or techniques of the functional area.

e) The requirements for obtaining, program and/or contents, validity of the diploma, as well as the procedure and requirements for its renewal, which will include, in the case provided for in Article 28.8.f) of Law 44/2003, of 21 November, the mandatory report which, if necessary, must be issued by the National Commission of the relevant specialty.

Respecting the above, the CFC proposal may also incorporate the following considerations or variables: Number of professionals to whom it affects and, whenever possible, disaggregation by sex; frequency of pathologies, processes or procedures that occur in the functional area to which it affects; range in the risk-safety of the patient; complexity of the care; and cost of the processes.

Article 6. Publication of the agreement to create a Diploma of Accreditation or an Advanced Accreditation Diploma.

The creation of a Diploma of Accreditation or an Advanced Accreditation Diploma agreed by the CISNS will be published in the "Official State Gazette" by order of the person holding the Ministry of Health, Services Social and Equality.

CHAPTER III

Obtaining and renewing the Diploma of Accreditation and Advanced Accreditation Diplomas

Article 7. Requirements for obtaining and renewing Accreditation Diplomas.

1. The requirements for obtaining and renewing a Diploma of Accreditation, which shall be required in an alternative or cumulative manner as determined in the agreement to create the Diploma, shall be as follows:

(a) Credit, in the last ten years, a minimum of two years of professional practice in the set of tasks included in the competences subject to accreditation, within the activity of their job, with evaluation of the positive performance thus certified in the National Health System by the corresponding health institution or scientific society in accordance with its rules of procedure. Performance in international health institutions will also be valued.

This certification shall specify the dates on which the professional has satisfactorily performed the competence to be accredited.

b) Carrying evidence of acquisition, over the last five years, of the competencies defined in the Diploma of Accreditation through different training actions accredited and specifically related to knowledge, skills and attitudes described in the table of competencies required to obtain such Diploma.

c) To carry out those other evidence to be determined by each autonomous community as to the acquisition, over the last five years, of the competencies defined in the Diploma of Accreditation for performance and professional development in relation to training stays, teaching, tutoring, papers, theses and/or research projects.

Article 8. Requirements for obtaining and renewing Advanced Accreditation Diplomas.

The requirements for obtaining and renewing an Advanced Accreditation Diploma, which shall be required in an alternative or cumulative manner as determined in the agreement to create it, shall be as follows:

a) Credit, in the last five years, a minimum of three years of professional practice with the Diploma of Accreditation in that functional area and with evaluation of the positive performance thus certified in the National Health System the health institution or the relevant scientific society in accordance with its rules of procedure. Performance in international health institutions will also be valued.

This certification shall specify the dates on which the professional has satisfactorily performed the competence to be accredited.

In the absence of a Diploma of Accreditation in this functional area, the requirement of professional practice for a minimum of three years, in the last five years, will be in the set of tasks included in the competences object of advanced accreditation.

b) Carry out evidence of acquisition, over the last five years, of the competencies defined in the Advanced Accreditation Diploma through different training actions accredited and specifically related to the knowledge, skills and attitudes described in the competences of the Diploma.

c) Carry out those other evidence to be determined by each autonomous community as to the acquisition, over the past five years, of the competencies defined in the Advanced Accreditation Diploma for performance and professional development in relation to training stays, teaching, tutoring, papers, theses and/or research projects.

Article 9. Procedure for obtaining a Diploma of Accreditation or an Advanced Accreditation Diploma.

The application for obtaining a Diploma of Accreditation or an Advanced Accreditation Diploma shall be processed in the field of the relevant health service where the person concerned exercises his or her profession and according to the procedure established by the competent administration.

The application must be accompanied by the documentation certifying compliance with the requirements which, in order to obtain the diploma, will be established in the agreement to create the diploma.

Article 10. Procedure for the renewal of a Diploma of Accreditation or an Advanced Accreditation Diploma.

1. The application for the renewal of a Diploma of Accreditation or of an Advanced Accreditation Diploma, to be submitted within three months immediately prior to the final date of validity of the diploma, shall be processed in the field of corresponding health service where the person concerned exercises his or her profession and in accordance with the procedure laid down by the competent administration.

The application for renewal shall be accompanied by the documentation certifying compliance with the requirements which, for the renewal of the diploma, are laid down in the agreement to create the diploma.

2. The submission of an application for renewal of a Diploma of Accreditation or of an Advanced Accreditation Diploma shall mean the extension of its validity as long as the corresponding procedure is not resolved.

Article 11. Incorporation of Accreditation Diplomas and Advanced Accreditation Diplomas in the State Register of Healthcare Professionals.

In accordance with the provisions of paragraph (k) of Article 5 of Royal Decree 640/2014 of 25 July 2014 on the State Register of Health Professionals, Accreditation Diplomas and Accreditation Diplomas Advanced medical professionals will be incorporated in the register.

Additional disposition first. Healthcare professionals who perform their activities in the territorial area of the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla.

In the case of healthcare professionals who perform their activities in centers and institutions that are dependent on the National Institute of Health Management, it will be this body that exercises the competencies that, according to this royal decree, correspond to public health administrations.

For other healthcare professionals who perform their activities in this territorial area, these competencies will be exercised by the administrative body that corresponds to each of the autonomous cities.

Additional provision second. No increase in public spending.

The measures included in this royal decree will be met with the ordinary budget allocations and will not be able to increase the amount of appropriations or salaries or other personnel costs.

Additional provision third. Merit to accredit in processes of provision of jobs.

Once a Diploma of Accreditation or an Advanced Accreditation Diploma has been created and in order to contribute to increasing the security guarantees in the care provided to patients, you will be able to contribute as professional merit for access to certain jobs.

The HR Commission will agree, on a proposal from the health administrations of the Autonomous Communities or the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality, on the relationship of Accreditation and Diplomacy Diplomas Advanced accreditation the contribution of which can be provided as professional merit by the corresponding regulations in the systems for the provision of places.

Final disposition first. Competence title.

This royal decree is dictated on the basis of the powers conferred on the State by Article 149.1.1. of the Spanish Constitution, on the regulation of the basic conditions that guarantee the equality of all Spaniards in the exercise of the rights and in the performance of constitutional duties, and article 149.1.16, in the field of basic and general coordination of health.

Final disposition second. Entry into force.

This royal decree will enter into force on the day following its publication in the "Official State Gazette".

Given in Madrid, July 10, 2015.

FELIPE R.

The Minister of Health, Social Services and Equality,

ALFONSO ALONSO ARANEGUI