Governance

Enabling legislation

EMHS, as a Health Service Provider (HSP), is governed by the Health Services Act 2016 (WA) (HSA 2016).

WA Department of Health (System Manager)

The WA Department of Health (System Manager) is responsible for strategic leadership, including system-wide planning, policy and performance, and enters into service agreements with HSPs for service provision. The System Manager works in collaboration with HSPs and their accountable authorities.

Accountable authority and Chief Executive

EMHS is a board-governed statutory authority. The EMHS Board is directly accountable to the public through the Minister for Health and works with the Director General (DG) of the WA Department of Health.

The EMHS Chief Executive (CE) is employed by the DG as the ‘chief employee’ of the HSP and is accountable to the Board for coordinating and managing the daily operations of EMHS.

Shared responsibilities with other agencies

EMHS works with the WA Department of Health (System Manager), the WA Mental Health Commission (MHC), other HSPs and a range of government and non-government agencies to deliver programs and services within the State’s eastern metropolitan region.

Sustainable Health Review

Since the April 2019 release of the Sustainable Health Review (SHR) report, the WA Department of Health and HSPs have been progressing this ambitious reform agenda to create a modern healthcare system. 

In 2023-24, EMHS continued to support prioritised recommendations (click here for more information), with a focus on outpatient access reform, digital health, management of complex chronic disease, workforce culture and capability, the health of the Aboriginal community, mental health and equitable access to health care.