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Deed of Agreement between the National Blood Authority and the Australian Red Cross Society
The National Blood Authority (NBA) is responsible for ensuring that Australia’s blood and blood products supply is secure, adequate and affordable.
The NBA manages the national planning and purchasing of blood and blood products on behalf of all Australian Governments who, together, provided a total of $884.5m in 2009-10 for the NBA to purchase blood and blood products on behalf of all Australians.
The Deed of Agreement
In August 2006, the NBA and the Australian Red Cross Society signed the Deed of Agreement for the supply of vital blood products and services to the health system through the Australian Red Cross Blood Service (tBlood Service). The Deed was extended for one year by variation on 30 June 2009, and again extended for one year and varied to reflect agreed output based funding principles on 30 June 2010.
The Agreement is structured around the Blood Service meeting State and Territory requirements for the supply of blood, blood products and associated services. Under the Agreement, the Blood Service collects, manufactures and distributes fresh blood products from voluntary donations. It also distributes plasma products and a number of imported blood products to hospitals and other end users in Australia. The Agreement brings together the needs of the Australian Government and the State and Territory governments in a single, national Agreement with the Blood Service. The Agreement recognises that the NBA and the Blood Service have a shared accountability in ensuring that essential blood products and services for the Australian health system and for the Australian community are available when and where they are needed, and that these products meet regulatory requirements. It also recognises that value for money is an important consideration.
The NBA is currently working with the Blood Service and Red Cross to negotiate a new Deed of Agreement. It is the objective of the NBA that the new Deed will be based on a relationship model that will further strengthen collaboration, cooperative planning and transparency of outcomes.
Roles of the parties
The NBA is responsible for assessing and consolidating the demand for products and services, from the Blood Service, of the State and Territory governments and working with the Blood Service to ensure that these requirements are met in the most efficient and cost effective manner. The Blood Service remains directly responsibility and accountable for the collection, testing and distribution of blood and blood products to meet these requirements.
Funding arrangement
The Australian Government and the State and Territory Governments jointly fund the Agreement with the Blood Service. The Australian Government provides 63 per cent of the funding and the State and Territory Governments combined contribution is 37 per cent.
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This page last modified on November 2, 2010
