National Health Service Act 2006

MiscellaneousE+W

F158TaxationE+W

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59Conduct of electionsE+W

(1)Regulations may make provision as to the conduct of elections for membership of the [F2council of governors] of an NHS foundation trust.

(2)The regulations may in particular provide for—

(a)nomination of candidates and obligations to declare their interests,

(b)systems and methods of voting, and the allocation of places on the [F3council of governors], at contested elections,

(c)filling of vacancies,

(d)supervision of elections,

(e)elections expenses and publicity,

(f)questioning of elections and the consequences of irregularities.

(3)Regulations under this section may create offences punishable on summary conviction with a maximum fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

(4)An NHS foundation trust must secure that its constitution is in accordance with regulations under this section.

(5)Pending the coming into force of regulations under this section, elections for membership of the [F4council of governors] of an NHS foundation trust, if contested, must be by secret ballot.

60Voting and standing for electionE+W

(1)A person may not vote at an election for the [F5council of governors] of an NHS foundation trust unless, within the specified period, he has made a declaration in the specified form of the particulars of his qualification to vote as a member of the constituency, or class within a constituency, for which the election is being held.

(2)A person may not stand for election to [F6the council] unless—

(a)he has within the specified period made a declaration in the specified form of the particulars of his qualification to vote as a member of the constituency, or class within a constituency, for which the election is being held, and

(b)he is not prevented from being a member of [F6the council] by paragraph 8 of Schedule 7.

(3)A person elected to [F6the council] may not vote at a meeting of [F6the council] unless—

(a)he has within the specified period made a declaration in the specified form of the particulars of his qualification to vote as a member of the trust, and

(b)he is not prevented from being a member of [F6the council] by paragraph 8 of Schedule 7.

(4)This section does not apply to an election held for the staff constituency.

(5)“Specified” means specified in the trust's constitution.

(6)A person is guilty of an offence if he—

(a)makes a declaration under this section which he knows to be false in a material particular, or

(b)recklessly makes such a declaration which is false in a material particular.

(7)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

61Representative membershipE+W

An authorisation may require an NHS foundation trust to take steps to secure that (taken as a whole) the actual membership of any public constituency and (if there is one) of the patients' constituency is representative of those eligible for such membership.

62AuditE+W

Schedule 10 makes provision in relation to the audit of accounts of NHS foundation trusts.

63General duty of NHS foundation trustsE+W

An NHS foundation trust must exercise its functions effectively, efficiently and economically.