Table 1

Public health service boards in Victoria, Australia

Characteristic	Public health service boards in Victoria
Population served	Victoria has 5.6 million residents, making it the second most populous state in Australia
Governing legislation	Health Services Act 1988
Number of boards	85 public health services are each governed by their own board: 16 in metropolitan areas 16 in regional and subregional areas 53 in rural areas
Functions	The statutory functions of the board include ensuring that effective and accountable systems are in place to monitor and improve the quality and effectiveness of health services provided any problems identified with the quality or effectiveness of the health services provided are addressed in a timely manner
Number of members	Each board has between 6 and 12 members. Both men and women must be adequately represented on the board
Independence	All board members are independent non-executive directors. No more than a quarter of members may be medical practitioners, and employees of the health service are not eligible to serve on the board
Term of appointment	Board members are appointed by the Minister of Health for a 3-year term with the possibility of re-appointment
Remuneration	Members of metropolitan and larger regional boards are remunerated. Members of subregional and rural boards serve as volunteers
Time commitment	Boards meet on average 11 times a year, with additional committee meetings
Committees	Each board is required to have a quality committee, as well as a risk committee and an audit committee. The chair of the quality committee is a member of the board.