The 19th Interregional Meeting on the Legal Protection of Patients will address health data governance and digital rights within the Spanish National Health System
The Menéndez Pelayo International University (UIMP) and the Regional Ministry of Health of the Government of Cantabria will hold the 19th edition of the Interregional Meeting on the Legal Protection of Patients from 22 to 26 June. This event is one of Spain’s key forums for professionals in the healthcare, legal and public administration fields.
Under the title “Health Data, Governance and Digital Rights”, the meeting will bring together in Santander leading specialists from public administrations, universities, regulatory bodies, European institutions, and technology and pharmaceutical companies, as well as experts in bioethics and data protection, with the aim of reflecting on the main challenges posed by the digital transformation of health.
A consolidated forum since 2008
Directed by Joaquín Cayón, Head of the Legal Advisory Service of the Regional Ministry of Health of the Government of Cantabria and Director of the Research Group on Health Law and Bioethics (IDIVAL–University of Cantabria), and by Jorge Tomillo, Professor of Commercial Law at the University of Cantabria and member of the General Codification Commission, the seminar has been held uninterruptedly for nineteen years, establishing itself as a reference space for the exchange of knowledge, experiences and best practices among professionals from the healthcare system and the legal sector.
Its objective is to contribute to improving the quality of health services through the dissemination of scientific knowledge, the analysis of regulatory and technological changes, and the strengthening of collaboration networks among the different actors of the National Health System.
Digitalisation, artificial intelligence and patients’ rights
The 2026 edition will focus on three main areas: digital health governance, the use and protection of health data, and patients’ digital rights.
Among the most notable contributions is the opening lecture by Lorenzo Cotino, President of the Spanish Data Protection Agency, who will analyse the secondary use of health data for biomedical research. Other high-profile participants include former Minister of Health Ana Pastor, HM Hospitales President Juan Abarca, Cantabria’s Regional Minister of Health César Pascual, President of the High Court of Justice of Cantabria José Arsuaga, bioethics expert Iñigo de Miguel, and football coach Quique Setién, who will offer a unique reflection on team management and the governance of complex ecosystems.
The programme will also address highly topical issues such as artificial intelligence applied to scientific research and clinical practice, telemedicine, European regulation of medical devices, the digital divide, the protection of minors in digital environments, and the future of clinical data.
International perspective and European participation
The international dimension of the meeting will be especially present on 25 June, a day dedicated to European advances in healthcare digitalisation. Experts from the European Commission, Erasmus University Rotterdam and the Institute of Social Sciences of Serbia will analyse regulatory developments in medical devices, the ethical and legal challenges associated with telemedicine, and pilot projects promoted by the European Union.
Lifetime Achievement Award in the Protection of the Right to Health
The meeting will host the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Protection of the Right to Health, a recognition that in previous editions has honoured internationally renowned figures such as Manuel Elkin Patarroyo, Valentín Fuster, Luis Rojas Marcos, Julio Mayol, María Blasco, Ángel Carracedo and Rafael Yuste.
This year, the award will be presented to Ignacio Hernández Medrano, founder and Chief Medical Officer of Savana and Princess of Girona Award recipient, who will deliver the keynote lecture “Artificial Intelligence and Medicine: Searching for Signals in the Noise”.
More information: https://www.uimp.es/agenda-link.html?id_actividad=6698&anyaca=2026-27
