The fact that healthcare is different from the business sector in several respects implies that additional requirements must be imposed on the management and supervision in healthcare and within healthcare institutions (‘governance’). This is also the subject that has received a great deal of political attention in recent years. It is very important to keep the governance within a healthcare institution organised. In practice, this does not always go well. In recent years, various healthcare institutions have been in the news due to scandals and bankruptcies caused by poor governance. The most well-known headlines were Slotervaart and the IJsselmeer hospitals.
Regulations can help prevent problems, but in order to reduce the risks of problems, it is of the greatest importance that governance in healthcare is more professionalized. Insight and awareness of the different roles and responsibilities of the directors and supervisors require professional expertise. According to current legislation and regulations, the most important tasks and responsibilities lie with the board of directors, the supervisory board, the compliance officer, the management secretary, the works council, the client council and the medical staff within the healthcare institution. The concrete execution of the roles also depends on the type of healthcare institution, the situation in which it operates and the internal regulatory system, which is laid down in the articles of association.