The Catalan Institute of Oncology, Bellvitge University Hospital and IDIBELL, with the support of the University of Barcelona, have been accredited by the OECI as a Comprehensive Cancer Centre (CCC) – the highest European recognition for the integrated approach to cancer care
This is the only CCC in Spain and Catalonia that brings together four independent public institutions working in a coordinated and networked manner, with a team of more than 1,500 professionals leading activities ranging from research and prevention to comprehensive patient care
The Bellvitge Health Campus, formed by the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Bellvitge University Hospital (HUB), the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) and the University of Barcelona (UB), has been accredited by the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI) as a Comprehensive Cancer Centre (CCC) – currently the highest European recognition in the field of oncology.
The accreditation of the Bellvitge Health Campus as a CCC directly benefits nearly two million people living in the Southern Metropolitan and Penedès regions, as well as patients with specific pathologies from the Camp de Tarragona and Terres de l’Ebre regions. It is the only CCC in Spain and Catalonia composed of three highly specialised, independent public institutions: ICO, the only monographic cancer centre in Spain; HUB, a national leader in complex oncological surgery; and IDIBELL, a research institute that devotes 50% of its scientific output to cancer. This ecosystem also includes the University of Barcelona, which contributes to the CCC as a source of healthcare talent and academic excellence.
Equity in access to high-quality cancer care
The collaborative and network-based model of the Bellvitge Health Campus ensures that more than two million people – the largest healthcare catchment area in Catalonia – receive the same quality of care regardless of their place of residence.
-Rapid and personalised diagnosis, thanks to precision medicine and the integration of advanced technologies such as the clinical PET/MR, the only one of its kind in Spain.
- Preferential access to clinical trials, allowing patients to receive innovative drugs and therapies before they become commercially available
- More complex yet less invasive treatments, resulting from the combination of advanced surgical technology, state-of-the-art radiotherapy, a brachytherapy unit that serves as a reference for the whole of Catalonia, and translational research. Comprehensive Cancer Centres must also play a key role in cancer prevention and health promotion for the general population - areas in which the Bellvitge Health Campus is a national leader.
The Bellvitge Health Campus CCC in figures
A rigorous accreditation process
The Bellvitge Health Campus becomes the second public institution in Spain and Catalonia to achieve the full European accreditation. Across Europe, only 44 centres hold the full OECI designation, positioning the institutions within the Bellvitge Health Campus as European leaders in cancer care and research.
The OECI is a non-profit international network founded in 1979 that brings together hospitals, institutes and oncology research centres across Europe and beyond. The organisation promotes excellence in cancer care, research and education, and harmonises quality standards in oncology across Europe.
The OECI audit report, carried out in March 2025, highlighted that the Bellvitge Health Campus “already operates today at the standards that Europe has set for the future of cancer care”.
Leadership and governance of the Bellvitge Health Campus CCC
The Bellvitge Health Campus CCC is governed by a council composed of the Catalan Institute of Oncology, Bellvitge University Hospital, IDIBELL and the University of Barcelona. Executive leadership lies with Dr Joan Brunet i Vidal, Director of the ICO, who chairs a steering committee involving professionals from all participating institutions.
Dr Joan Brunet, Director of the ICO and of the Bellvitge Health Campus CCC, emphasised that “this recognition acknowledges our network-based model, which brings the highest quality cancer care closer to the population, ensuring equity in access to the diagnostic and treatment”.
Dr Cristina Capdevila, Manager of Bellvitge University Hospital, highlighted that “the centre is a national leader in complex oncological surgery” and that this accreditation “will enable us to consolidate and expand access to minimally invasive and robotic surgical techniques for a greater number of patients”.
Dr Gabriel Capellà, Director of IDIBELL, noted that more than half of the institute’s research is focused on cancer, and that being part of the Comprehensive Cancer Centre “confirms the essential role of research as the starting point for developing new comprehensive approaches to cancer care and prevention”.
Finally, Dr Joan Miquel Nolla, Academic Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Barcelona, underlined that “the University of Barcelona has supported this initiative from the outset. The Bellvitge Campus of the UB, which houses the Faculties of Medicine and Health Sciences and of Nursing, is an academic benchmark where cancer plays a central role in education. We contribute talent and a cross-disciplinary perspective, as a significant proportion of our teaching and research staff also collaborate with ICO, HUB and IDIBELL".
A campus committed to Europe
The creation of the Bellvitge Health Campus Comprehensive Cancer Centre is aligned with the strategic goals of the European Beating Cancer Plan, which aims to reduce the burden of cancer across the European Union through prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and the improvement of quality of life for patients and survivors. The plan sets the objective that 90% of European citizens with cancer will have access to a Comprehensive Cancer Centre by 2030.
With this recognition, the Bellvitge Health Campus stands alongside leading European oncology institutions such as Gustave Roussy (France), the Karolinska Institute (Sweden) and the Charité Comprehensive Cancer Centre (Germany), reinforcing the position of Catalonia and Spain as European leaders in oncology.