Illegal Oncology Unit Found Operating at Private Clinic

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Greece’s National Transparency Authority (EAD) has uncovered the illegal operation of an oncology department at a private clinic in northern Greece following a complaint.

An inspection found that the clinic operated a fully equipped oncology department even though its current licence did not authorise the unit to operate.

The department had only one doctor, a pulmonologist specialising in lung oncology. The clinic provided him with office space but had not signed a written agreement with him.

The EAD also found that the clinic did not employ its doctors and department heads under dependent employment arrangements and had not signed written contracts with its other doctors, contrary to existing legislation.

The clinic also lacked sufficient nursing staff and had no personnel in several required specialties, including radiologists.

According to the authority, the clinic also did not operate an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), despite its capacity making an ICU mandatory under the legislation governing its establishment and operating licence.

Chemotherapy drugs prescribed from clinic

The EAD found that the pulmonologist specialising in lung oncology, under whose supervision the unauthorised oncology department operated, had prescribed chemotherapy drugs to his patients from the clinic’s medical office since 2022.

He subsequently administered the drugs in the clinic’s so-called oncology department, while clinic staff prepared the treatments.

The authority also found that the doctor’s patients entered the clinic on the orders of another clinic doctor for short-term hospitalisation, with diagnoses that did not relate to any form of malignancy. During their hospital stays, however, the patients received specific chemotherapy drugs.

The EAD said these findings indicated that the clinic may have submitted inaccurate information to EOPYY, Greece’s national health insurance organisation, to obtain reimbursement for the patients’ hospitalisation.

Previous inspection had identified staffing problems

The same clinic had undergone an inspection in 2025 by the regional committee responsible for inspecting private clinics. That inspection found that the clinic lacked the necessary nursing staff for safe operation.

However, the EAD said the regional committee’s findings did not identify or report the issues uncovered by the authority, including the illegal operation of the oncology department.

The EAD said the Directorate of Public Health and Social Welfare, the competent regional authority, had not ordered the clinic’s permanent closure despite receiving a committee recommendation to permanently shut it down and revoke its establishment and operating licence.

The authority also noted that the regional service had already revoked the clinic’s Certificate of Good Operation in early 2026.

EAD calls for clinic to close

The EAD recommended that the competent regional authority permanently close the clinic and revoke its establishment and operating licence.

It also recommended imposing administrative sanctions on the clinic and informing private clinics and inspection committees about their obligations to comply with current legislation.

The EAD forwarded its inspection report to the Athens Court of Appeal Prosecutor to investigate any potential criminal liability.

It also sent the report to EOPYY for any action it considers necessary regarding the accuracy of information the clinic submitted to obtain reimbursement for the hospitalisation of specific patients.

The report was also forwarded to the relevant Medical Association to investigate any potential disciplinary responsibility.

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