Welcome to the NHS Wales Governance e-Manual

This manual is designed to assist NHS organisations in Wales develop robust governance and assurance arrangements that meet the standards of good governance set for all public services in Wales

- supporting the delivery of high quality and safe healthcare services to citizens.

What is governance?
Governance is a wide-ranging term that means different things to different people. It encompasses concepts such as leadership, stewardship, accountability, ethical behaviour and control. As a result it is difficult to provide one all embracing definition that satisfies all those with a view on the matter. For the NHS in Wales, governance is defined as:

"A system of accountability to citizens, service users, stakeholders and the wider community, within which healthcare organisations work, take decisions and lead their people to achieve their objectives."

In simple terms, it refers to the way in which NHS bodies ensure that they are doing the right things, in the right way, for the right people, in a manner that upholds the values set for the Welsh public sector.

The effectiveness of governance arrangements has a significant impact on how well NHS organisations meet their aims and objectives.

About the manual
The manual provides details of the background to the reform in the NHS in Wales along with advice and guidance on all aspects of governance in the NHS in Wales.

The framework for the manual is based on the Assembly Government's Citizen-Centred Governance Principles, which apply to all public bodies in Wales. These principles integrate all aspects of governance and embody the values and standards of behaviour expected at all levels of public services in Wales.

The manual will support NHS organisations in defining and implementing their governance arrangements. It provides direction, guidance and support to Board members and NHS staff to enable them to fulfil their own responsibilities and ensure their organisations meet the standards of good governance set for the NHS in Wales.

For those working alongside NHS bodies or just simply interested in the work of the NHS, it provides a valuable insight into the way in which the NHS is organised and governed across Wales.

In doing so, it also demonstrates how the standards set for governing all public sector bodies in Wales are being applied in practice.

Using the manual
We hope you find the information in this manual useful. The content within the manual will evolve on a regular basis as information is added and updated to reflect the activities of the NHS. We encourage you to visit the site frequently to see how it is developing.

Feedback
We welcome your comments and suggestions on how helpful you find the site, both in terms of content and ease of use.

Please feed back your comments via the feedback form available on the home page; you can find the form on the navigation panel to the left hand side of the page.