Each Local Health District Board or Specialty Health Network Board is responsible for establishing and oversighting an effective governance and risk management framework for the network, setting its strategic directions, ensuring high standards of professional and ethical conduct are maintained, involving providers and the community in decisions that affect them, monitoring the service delivery and financial performance of the network against its targets and holding the network chief executive accountable for their performance.
District Boards have specific functions, set out in section 28 of the Health Services Act 1997.
A District Board consists of 6-13 members appointed by the Minister for Health. The selection criteria for Board members set out in the Act aims to ensure an appropriate mix of skills and expertise to oversee and provide guidance to large, complex organisations. This includes expertise and experience in matters such as health; financial and business management; clinical and other health services; research; and knowledge of the community. At least one member must have expertise, knowledge or experience in relation to Aboriginal health.