National Blood Authority wins the Prime Minister’s Silver Award for Excellence in Public Sector Management for 2019

Australia’s National Blood Authority has been presented with the 2019 Prime Minister’s Silver Award for Excellence in Public Sector Management for its work in developing and implementing Australia’s National Immunoglobulin Governance Program.

The Award is given by the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA), and was presented by The Hon Ben Morton MP, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and Dr Steven Kennedy PSM, Secretary of the Treasury and IPAA ACT President, at a ceremony at Parliament House in Canberra on 13 November 2019.

The National Blood Authority was amongst 46 entrants from Commonwealth, State, Territory and local government departments and agencies across Australia, and one of 22 shortlisted entrants.  Six awards were presented at the ceremony.  More information on all entrants and the other awards presented can be found at https://www.act.ipaa.org.au/pmaward-winners-19 .

The National Blood Authority has ensured an uninterrupted supply of immunoglobulin products in Australia since 2004.  The continuous and increasing demand for immunoglobulin has presented challenges for secure supply and affordability.

These challenges have been met through the National Immunoglobulin Governance Program, supported by a national online management reporting system, BloodSTAR. Together, the Program and BloodSTAR deliver an integrated, dynamic, rules-based system that is based on revised criteria for the clinical use of immunoglobulin in Australia. The initiative was implemented nationally in late 2018.

The Award judges were impressed by the strong commitment of the NBA to working collaboratively with a complex set of stakeholders to take a user-centric development approach to the Program. The work involved invaluable contributions from many specialist clinicians, nurses, transfusion scientists, patient representatives, patients and other experts and stakeholders, along with collaborators from the Australian Red Cross LifeBlood and all Commonwealth, State and Territory health departments.

The innovative approach in developing this governance program delivers a world-first national arrangement to support clinical treatment for patients using precious, high cost immunoglobulin products made from donated blood plasma.

This program has been delivered successfully within the resourcing provided through the national blood budget. It has already delivered a moderation in the annual increase of demand for immunoglobulin products from a long term average of 11% per year to 7.2% in 2018-19, while maintaining access to immunoglobulin therapy for patients within a wide range of chronic and acute immunological, neurological, haematological, transplantation and other clinical contexts.

The National Blood Authority was a previous winner of a Silver Award in the 2006 Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Sector Management and has also been a recipient of a United Nations Public Service Award in 2010. It has received numerous other awards for important projects and programs and the National Immunoglobulin Governance Program was also recognised earlier in 2019 with Australian Business Awards for Business Innovation and Supply Chain Management.

A media statement is attached below. Extensive information on the National Immunoglobulin Governance Program, and Australia’s arrangements for the supply of blood products generally, can also be found elsewhere on the NBA website.

Media statement - NBA wins Prime Minister’s Silver Award for Excellence in Public Sector Management for 2019 (349.07 KB) (pdf)
Media statement - NBA wins Prime Minister’s Silver Award for Excellence in Public Sector Management for 2019 (1.18 MB) (docx)