Health Care Act 2008

Each incorporated health service is to be governed by a board (a

The functions of a governing board for an incorporated health service include the following:

to ensure effective clinical and corporate governance frameworks are established to support the maintenance and improvement of standards of patient care and services by the incorporated health service and to approve those frameworks;

to ensure—

the operations of the incorporated health service are carried out efficiently, effectively and economically; and

the incorporated health service manages its budget so that performance targets are met; and

that resources are applied equitably to meet the needs of the community served by the incorporated health service;

to ensure strategic plans to guide the delivery of services are developed for the incorporated health service and to approve those plans;

to ensure that the incorporated health service—

promotes a healthy workforce culture for and among staff employed to work within the incorporated health service; and

implements measures to provide for and promote the health, safety and wellbeing of those staff within the workplace (including the psychosocial health, safety and wellbeing of staff); and

implements policies issued by the Chief Executive on workforce health, safety and welfare (including policies on workforce harassment and bullying), so far as those policies apply to the incorporated health service;

to provide strategic oversight of and monitor the incorporated health service's financial and operational performance;

to prepare and keep under review strategies—

for the provision of health services by the incorporated health service;

to promote consultation with health professionals working in the incorporated health service; and

to promote consultation with health consumers and community members about the provision of health services by the incorporated health service;

to advise providers and consumers of health services, and other members of the community served by the incorporated health service, as to the health service's policies, plans and initiatives for the provision of health services;

to manage performance against the performance measures in the service agreement between the incorporated health service and the Chief

to cooperate with other providers of health services, including providers of primary health care, in planning for, and providing, health services;

to endorse the incorporated health service's annual report;

to liaise with the boards of other incorporated health services and incorporated hospitals and the Chief Executive in relation to both local and statewide initiatives for the provision of health services.

A governing board is also to carry out other functions assigned to the board by or under this or any other Act, or by the Minister.

The governing board for an incorporated health service—

must comply with any directions of the Minister and any directions of the

must comply with any policies of the Department specified by the Minister or the Chief Executive to apply to a governing board in the performance of its functions; and

must not exercise a function in a way that is inconsistent with the exercise of a function by the Chief Executive (including a function that has been delegated to the Chief Executive).

An act done or decision made by the governing board for an incorporated health service in the course of official functions and duties is an act or decision of the incorporated health service.