2009-The Physician of the Future English and Catalan

3. H OW TO BRIDGE THE GAP 85 3.5. Health Administration and Authorities $e central and autonomous governments and their health administrations must play their role of social regulatory agent and be clear, especially in the case of autonomous administrations and governments, that this role should not be confused with the subsidiary role of employers for the public sector, as occurs all too frequently. $is overlap of functions generates confusion and misunderstandings that mainly a'ects their regulatory role, which by nature should be neutral, but, instead, causes an increase of rigidity and bureaucratic procedures in the health sector. In many of our neighbouring countries the public health care system is managed autonomously, free of political in&uences, which is something that should also be done here. Regulatory health authorities should also establish a framework for cooperation with health professions, whose representative bodies also carry public responsibilities. $e College of Physicians in Spain, like other health professional colleges, is a public corporation, recognised in our Constitution as such, with well de"ned competencies and social obligations to be accountable for. In domains like assessment of professional competence of licensed physicians, the government should neither interfere nor arrogate their competencies, but should demand and also regulate a stringent ful"lment of their statutory obligations. Any attempt to modify the present constitutional status should be previously clearly de"ned and agreed with the medical profession before being implemented.