Division 4 Health

236A   Functions of Justice Health

Justice Health, in addition to any other functions conferred on it by or under this or any other Act or law, has the following functions:

(a)  to provide health services to offenders and other persons in custody within the meaning of section 249,

(b)  to monitor the provision of health services in managed correctional centres,

(c)  to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in, or in relation to, correctional centres,

(d)  to keep medical records of offenders and other persons in custody within the meaning of section 249,

(e)  to provide advice to the Commissioner on the diet, exercise, clothing, capacity to work and general hygiene of inmates.

236B   CEO, Justice Health, to have access to correctional centres, offenders and medical records

For the purpose of ensuring that the provisions of this Act and the regulations (in so far as they relate to the functions of Justice Health) are being complied with at a correctional centre, the Chief Executive Officer, Justice Health, is to have free and unfettered access at all times to all parts of the correctional centre, to all medical records held at the correctional centre and to all offenders held in custody in the correctional centre.

236C   Appointment of medical officers

(1)  The Chief Executive Officer, Justice Health, may appoint one or more registered medical practitioners as medical officers for a correctional centre.

(2)  A registered medical practitioner may be appointed as a medical officer for one or more correctional centres.

(3)  A medical officer is subject to the direction and control of the Chief Executive Officer, Justice Health.

(4)  A medical officer for a correctional centre is to attend the correctional centre as regularly and frequently as is necessary to comply with the medical officer’s statutory obligations.

(5)  The Chief Executive Officer, Justice Health is to keep such statistical records, and furnish to the Commissioner such returns, as the Commissioner may direct in relation to health services provided to inmates.

(6)  A person who held office as a medical officer for a correctional centre immediately before the commencement of this section is taken to hold office pursuant to an appointment under this section, and the appointment may be suspended or revoked accordingly.

236D   Delegation of functions of CEO, Justice Health

(1)  The Chief Executive Officer, Justice Health, may delegate to any person any of the Chief Executive Officer’s functions under this Act, other than this power of delegation.

(2)  Subsection (1) does not enable the Chief Executive Officer, Justice Health to delegate the right of free and unfettered access conferred on the Chief Executive Officer by sections 236B and 244.