The financial management of healthcare organisations is a key management responsibility regardless of whether it is a public or private facility. While this responsibility has always been important, it is becoming increasingly more so with the rising costs of providing healthcare due to advances in technology, chronic disease and aging populations. The responsible use and management of scarce healthcare resources requires knowledge and information. The accounting process provides the necessary information to develop and monitor a budget. However, it is the financial management of the budget and associated activity levels that provide the necessary framework to ensure budget integrity and financial governance. <Governance is defined as mechanisms and processes by which organisations are controlled and managed (Walshe & Smith, 2011)>