Secretary of New South Wales Health

Secretary of New South Wales Health
Incumbent
Susan Pearce
since March 2022
AppointerNew South Wales Minister for Health
Inaugural holderRobert Thomas Paton
Formation1914

The secretary of New South Wales (NSW) Health is the chief executive of the NSW Ministry of Health. The Secretary oversees the day-to-day operation of the ministry and directly reports to the minister for health.

The secretary has overall operational responsibility for the management and oversight of the NSW Ministry of Health.[1] The secretary chairs critical management meetings for the system and meets with chief executives from the entire state health system, among others.[1]

History

The inaugural director-general of NSW Health was Robert Thomas Paton, who was appointed in 1913.[2]

Functions

The main functions and responsibilities of the secretary for NSW Health are defined per section 122 of the NSW Health Services Act 1997[3] These are:

  • (a) to facilitate the achievement and maintenance of adequate standards of patient care within public hospitals and in relation to other services provided by the public health system,
  • (b) to facilitate the efficient and economic operation of the public health system consistent with the standards referred to in paragraph (a),
  • (c) to inquire into the administration, management and services of any public health organisation,
    • (c1) to provide governance, oversight and control of the public health system and the statutory health organisations within it,
  • (d) to cause public health organisations (including public hospitals controlled by them) to be inspected from time to time,
  • (e) to recommend to the Minister what sums of money (if any) should be paid from money appropriated from the Consolidated Fund in any financial year to any public health organisation,
  • (f) to enter into performance agreements with public health organisations, to review the results of organisations under such agreements and to report those results (and make recommendations about the results) to the Minister,
    • (f1) to give directions to statutory health organisations,
  • (g) such other functions as may be conferred or imposed by or under this Act.

Further functions allocated to the secretary can be found in sections 67K, 67U, 67Z, 116D, 116H, 123, 126, 126B and 134.

List of directors-general and secretaries of NSW Health

Secretary Period Background
Robyn Kruk 2002–2008[4] Public servant
Mary Foley[5][6][7][8] 2011–2016[9] Businessperson[10][11]
Elizabeth Koff 2016–2022 Public servant[12]
Susan Pearce 2022–present Nurse[13]

References

  1. ^ a b "Our Structure". New South Wales Ministry of Health.
  2. ^ "The Ministry of Health" (PDF). New South Wales Ministry of Health. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 June 2014.
  3. ^ Health Services Act 1997 (NSW) s 122
  4. ^ "NSW Department of Health Report 2004–05" (PDF). November 2005. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2011.
  5. ^ "Mary Foley: Full summary". Chief Executive Women. Archived from the original on 10 January 2014.
  6. ^ Sweet, Melissa (22 November 2011). "Why Mary, Kylie and I may prefer to be known as Doctor..." Croakey. Crikey.com.au. Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  7. ^ "Professor Mary Foley". University of Western Sydney. Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  8. ^ Knott, Matthew (21 October 2011). "Let the doctor debate begin". Power Move. The Power Index. Archived from the original on 10 January 2014.
  9. ^ "Secretary of NSW Health". New South Wales Ministry of Health. Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  10. ^ "Speakers - SimHealth 2011". Simulation Australia. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  11. ^ "MQ&A: Dr Mary Foley, Director-general of NSW Health, 3 April 2011". Medical Questions and Answers. Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  12. ^ "Elizabeth Koff appointed to lead NSW Health". NSW Government. Department of Premier and Cabinet. Archived from the original on 19 April 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  13. ^ Graham, Jackson (25 February 2022). "Movers & Shakers: NSW Health secretary appointed, Australia's longest-serving ombud". The Mandarin. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
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