Law 3/2026 Galicia: new obligations for healthcare centers against violence

Key data

Public and contracted healthcare centers in Galicia have new legal obligations as of March 30, 2026. Law 3/2026 amends Law 8/2008 on health in Galicia to incorporate a comprehensive framework for prevention and protection against violence in the Galician healthcare system, affecting both professionals and patients as well as the internal organization of centers.

The regulation is not a statement of intent: it imposes specific organizational responsibilities on the Servizo Galego de Saúde (SERGAS) and contracted centers, which must adapt their internal procedures to comply with the new legal requirements.

What does this regulation establish?

Law 3/2026 introduces a comprehensive framework for prevention and protection against violence in the Galician healthcare system. The central elements it establishes are:

• Action protocols for situations of violence in healthcare centers.
• Preventive measures to avoid episodes of violence in the healthcare environment.
• Response mechanisms when situations of violence occur, both against professionals and against patients and users.
• Mandatory training for healthcare staff in violence prevention and management.
• Adaptation of internal procedures by healthcare institutions to comply with the new obligations.

The regulation directly amends Law 8/2008, of July 10, on health in Galicia, which has been the reference framework for the Galician healthcare system until now. With this amendment, protection against violence is structurally integrated into regional healthcare legislation.

Economic and operational impact

Law 3/2026 does not establish specific economic figures in the available data, but its operational impact is clear and affects several management dimensions:

• Training costs: If training for healthcare staff is mandatory, centers will need to plan and finance specific programs in violence prevention and management.
• Protocol review and drafting: Each center will need to develop or update its internal action and response protocols, which involves management time, legal advice and internal approval.
• Procedure adaptation: Existing internal procedures will need to be reviewed to align with the new legal framework, which may require additional human and technical resources.
• Contracted centers: Centers operating under contract with SERGAS have the same obligations as public centers, so the impact also extends to the contracted private sector.

The main operational risk for centers that do not act is to be in a situation of regulatory non-compliance with a law already in force, with the legal and reputational consequences that this may entail.

Who does it affect?

• Servizo Galego de Saúde (SERGAS): As the main institution of the Galician healthcare system, it assumes the greatest organizational responsibilities derived from the law.
• Contracted healthcare centers in Galicia: They are equally obligated to adapt their internal procedures and comply with the new regulatory framework.
• Healthcare professionals: They are one of the groups protected by the regulation and may be affected by the obligation to receive specific training.
• Patients and users of the Galician healthcare system: The law also strengthens their protection against situations of violence in health centers.
• Human resources managers and healthcare center directors: They will need to lead the implementation of protocols and the organization of mandatory training.

Practical example

A hospital contracted with SERGAS in Galicia that until now managed violence incidents with informal internal procedures must, as of March 30, 2026, have a documented and approved action protocol that covers both prevention and response to episodes of violence.

This means, in practice, that the center's management team must:

1. Review whether any previous protocol exists and whether it complies with the requirements of the new legal framework.
2. Draft or update the protocol with the support of the legal department or an external advisor.
3. Plan training for healthcare staff on the content of the new protocol.
4. Document the entire process to prove compliance in the event of an inspection or claim.

A center that has not started this process is in a situation of non-compliance from the date the law came into force.

What should organizations do now?

1. Verify the current status of internal protocols: Review whether the center has documented protocols on prevention and response to violence and whether they comply with the new framework of Law 3/2026.
2. Adapt or draft internal procedures: If existing protocols do not cover the law's requirements, they must be updated or created from scratch with specialized legal advice in healthcare law.
3. Plan staff training: Identify the training needs of healthcare staff in violence prevention and management and design a training plan that complies with the possible mandatory requirement established by the law.
4. Communicate changes internally: Inform management teams, human resources and healthcare professionals themselves about the new obligations and approved procedures.
5. Document compliance: Keep evidence of the adaptation process (minutes, training records, approved protocol versions) to prove compliance in the event of possible inspections or claims.
6. Contracted centers: Verify whether the contract with SERGAS includes specific clauses related to this law and act accordingly.