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Our Local Health Networks

Local Health Networks (LHNs) manage the delivery of public hospital services and other community based health services as determined by the state government.

They:

  • comprise single or groups of public hospitals
  • have a geographical or functional connection.

While a number of reforms will be delivered through this structure, state governments will continue to:

  • fund public hospital services (under a joint arrangement with the Commonwealth)
  • be responsible for system-wide public hospital performance, management, planning (including capital planning) and policy development
  • be responsible for planning, funding and delivery of  teaching, training and research
  • determine, through service agreements with their LHNs, service delivery and state-wide planning
  • manage state-wide public hospital industrial relations functions.

South Australia's Local Health Networks

There are five LHNs in South Australia established as incorporated hospitals under the Health Care Act 2008. These are:

  • Central Adelaide Local Health Network
  • Northern Adelaide Local Health Network
  • Southern Adelaide Local Health Network
  • Women’s and Children’s Health Network
  • Country Health SA Local Health Network.

The LHNs are accountable to the state government for performance management and planning.

Governance

The State Government is reforming SA Health’s governance arrangements and has introduced amending legislation into Parliament to establish Local Health Network (LHN) Governing Boards. The new Governing Boards will become fully operational from 1 July 2019. For more information, visit the Governing Boards page.

The Local Health Networks are supported by Governing Councils.

The Governing Councils key roles are to monitor and provide advice on improving clinical care outcomes within the LHN, with a particular focus on local service integration, performance the safety and quality of services and consumer engagement.

Each Governing Council has representation from health or hospital management, business/financial management, clinical experience, consumer and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experience.

Positions for each Governing Councils are now open for reappointment. If you would like to apply please complete and return the appropriate Governing Councils application form for your prospective LHN.

Nomination Forms:

Persons interested in applying for appointment to a Governing Council can access an application form above and email a completed application to governingcouncils@health.sa.gov.au.

See the individual LHN pages for a list of members and presiding members.

Performance

MyHospitals is a national initiative, which provides consumer friendly information  on the performance of individual hospitals.  Visitors to the website can find information about hospital services, patient admissions, waiting times for elective surgery and emergency department care, and measures of safety and quality.

Information on this website is routinely updated, and new content is added from time to time.

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