69BMinister may enter into public hospital patient services agreements

69B Minister may enter into public hospital patient services agreements (1) The Minister may, for and on behalf of the Crown— (a) enter into an agreement with a person or body for the provision by that person or body of health services to public hospital patients from premises which, under the agreement, will be required to become a privately-operated hospital; or (b) enter into an agreement with a person or body which is ancillary to an agreement entered into under paragraph (a), including an agreement with any person or body providing financial accommodation (within the meaning of the **Borrowing and Investment Powers Act 1987**) or a guarantee in respect of an agreement entered into under paragraph (a). (2) The Minister must obtain the written approval of the Treasurer before entering into an agreement under subsection (1). (3) Nothing in this section— (a) limits, or takes away, any other power of the Minister, whether under this or any other Act or otherwise, to enter into agreements for the provision of health services; or S. 69B(3)(b) amended by No. 46/1998 s. 7(Sch. 1). (b) limits, or takes away, any power of the Secretary under this Act to enter into health service agreements. S. 69B(4) inserted by No. 52/2004 s. 42. (4) The Minister must not enter into an agreement under subsection (1) on or after the day on which section 42 of the **Health Services (Governance and Accountability) Act 2004** comes into operation. S. 69B(5) inserted by No. 52/2004 s. 42. (5) Subsection (4) does not apply to an agreement for the provision of health services to public hospital patients from the New Mildura Base Hospital. S. 69C inserted by No. 68/1996 s. 28.