(1)The Welsh Ministers may by order establish bodies, called National Health Service trusts (“NHS trusts”), to provide goods and services for the purposes of the health service.
(2)An order under subsection (1) is referred to in this Act as “an NHS trust order”.
(3)No NHS trust order may be made until after the completion of such consultation as may be prescribed.
(4)Schedule 3 makes further provision about NHS trusts.
(1)The Welsh Ministers may give directions to an NHS trust about its exercise of any functions.
(2)The Welsh Ministers may not give directions under this section in respect of matters concerning xenotransplantation, surrogacy agreements, embryology or human genetics.
(3)Nothing in provision made by or under this or any other Act affects the generality of subsection (1).
An NHS trust must exercise its functions effectively, efficiently and economically.
Schedule 4 makes provision about the financing of NHS trusts.