AGY-6412 | Central Coast Local Health Network

Full description

Central Coast Local Health Network was established from 1 January 2011 by the Health Services Amendment (Local Health Networks) Act 2010 (Act No.97, 2010). (1) Central Coast Local Health Network covered the following local government areas: Gosford and Wyong. (2)

The functions of a local health network under the amended Health Services Act 1997 (Act No.4, 1997) were as follows:

(a) generally to promote, protect and maintain the health of the residents of its area,
(b) to conduct and manage public hospitals, health institutions, health services and health support services under its control,
(c) to give residents outside its area access to such of the health services it provides as may be necessary or desirable,
(d) to achieve and maintain adequate standards of patient care and services,
(e) to ensure the efficient and economic operation of its health services and health support services and use of its resources,
(f) generally to consult and co-operate (as it considers appropriate) with any one or more of the following: (i) the Health Care Complaints Commission constituted under the Health Care Complaints Act, 1993, (ii) health professionals practising in its area, (iii) other individuals and organisations (including voluntary agencies, private agencies and public or local authorities) concerned with the promotion, protection and maintenance of health,
(f1) to co-operate with other local health networks and the Director-General in relation to the provision of services involving more than one public health organisation or on a State-wide basis,
(g) to investigate and assess health needs in its area,
(h) to plan future development of health services in its area, and, towards that end: (i) to consult and plan jointly with the Ministry of Health and such other organisations as it considers appropriate, and (ii) to support, encourage and facilitate the organisation of community involvement in the planning of those services, and (iii) to develop strategies to facilitate community involvement in the planning of those services and to report on the implementation of those strategies in annual reports and to the Minister,
(i) to establish and maintain an appropriate balance in the provision and use of resources for health protection, health promotion, health education and treatment services,
(j) to provide services to persons with whom it has contracted or entered into an agreement under section 37 (2),
(k) to administer funding for recognised establishments and recognised services of affiliated health organisations where that function has been delegated to it by the Minister under section 129,
(l) to provide training and education relevant to the provision of health services,
(m) to undertake research and development relevant to the provision of health services,
(n) to make available to the public information and advice concerning public health and the health services available within its area,
(o) to carry out such other functions as are conferred or imposed on it by or under this or any other Act or as may be prescribed by the regulations. (3)

The Health Services Amendment (Local Health Networks) Act 2010 amended the Health Services Act 1997 to implement a health network system for the purpose of the National Health and Hospitals Network (NHHN) Agreement. (4)

The Health Services Amendment (Local Health Networks) Act 2010 also established for each local health network a Local Health Network Governing Council which was to comprise 6 to 13 members, with an appropriate mix of skills and expertise, to be appointed by the Minister. (5) The chief executive officer was to be accountable to the local health network governing council constituted for the network. (6)

The functions of the Local Health Network Governing Councils under section 28 of the Health Services Act 1997 (as amended) were:

(a) 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 local health network and to approve those frameworks,
(b) to approve systems: (i) to support the efficient and economic operation of the local health network, and (ii) to ensure the network manages its budget to ensure performance targets are met, and (iii) to ensure that network resources are applied equitably to meet the needs of the community served by the network,
(c) to ensure strategic plans to guide the delivery of services are developed for the local health network and to approve those plans,
(d) to provide strategic oversight of and monitor the local health network's financial and operational performance in accordance with the State-wide performance framework against the performance measures in the performance agreement for the network,
(e) to make recommendations for the appointment of the chief executive of the local health network and, where it considers it appropriate to do so, to make recommendations concerning the removal of the chief executive,
(f) to confer with the chief executive of the local health network in connection with the operational performance targets and performance measures to be negotiated in the service agreement for the network under the NHHN Agreement,
(g) to approve the service level agreement for the local health network under the NHHN Agreement,
(h) to seek the views of providers and consumers of health services, and of other members of the community served by the local health network, as to the network's policies, plans and initiatives for the provision of health services, and to confer with the Chief Executive of the network on how to support, encourgage and facilitate community and clinician involvement in the planning of network services,
(i) to advise providers and consumers of health services, and other members of the community served by the local health network, as to the network's policies, plans and initiatives for the provision of health services,
(j) to endorse the local health network's annual report,
(k) to liaise with the governing councils of other local health networks and network governed health corporations in relation to both local and State-wide initiatives for the provision of health services, and
(l) such other functions as are conferned or imposed on it by the regulations. (7)

Central Coast Local Health Network was abolished on 1 July 2011 by the Health Services Amendment (Local Health Districts and Boards) Act 2011 (Act No.4, 2011). (8)

Endnotes
1. Health Services Amendment (Local Health Networks) Act 2010 (Act No.97, 2010) Schedule 1 amending the Principal Act, Health Services Act 1997 (Act No.154, 1997) Schedule 1; Commencement Proclamation (2010 No 716) notified NSW Legislation Website, 17 December 2010.
2. Ibid. Schedule 1.
3. Health Services Act 1997 (Act No.4, 1997), s.10.
4. Health Services Amendment (Local Health Networks) Act 2010 Schedule 1 cl.1, amending the Principal Act, s.4 (a).
5. Health Services Amendment (Local Health Networks) Act 2010 Schedule 1 cl.7, amending the Principal Act, s.26 (2) and (3).
6. Health Services Amendment (Local Health Networks) Act 2010 Schedule 1 cl.6, amending the Principal Act, s.25 (b).
7. Health Services Amendment (Local Health Networks) Act 2010 Schedule 1 cl.9, amending the Principal Act, s.28.
8. Commencement Proclamation under the Health Services Amendment (Local Health Districts and Boards) Act 2011 No 4 (2011 No 313) notified NSW Legislation Website, 1 July 2011.