The NBA Board was established under the National Blood Authority Act 2003 to:
In May 2011 a new Board was appointed and is due to meet for the first time early in July 2011.
Mr Garry Richardson—chair
Mr Rob Christie—community representative
Dr Peter Lewis-Hughes AM—state and territory representative
Mr Ken Barker—financial expert
Dr Stephen Christley—state and territory representative
Ms Mary Murnane—Australian Government representative
Ms Gayle Ginnane—chair
Mr Paul Bedbrook—community representative
Adjunct Professor Chris Brook PSM—state and territory representative
Professor George Rubin—public health expert
For more information about members of the Board see Appendices 2 and 4.
This is my first report following my appointment as Chair of the NBA Board in May 2011. I am looking forward to working with my fellow Board members to provide guidance and support to the NBA to manage Australia’s blood supply chain on behalf of Australian governments.
During the year the Board met four times and also held its annual meeting with the Blood Service Board in October 2010.
Following the Administrative Review of the National Blood Arrangements in 2009, an implementation plan to address the recommendations was developed and endorsed by the AHMC on 12 November 2010. A key recommendation from the Review was that the NBA prepare an options paper on its priorities for the next three years, taking account of current budget projections and core responsibilities. The Board is providing oversight on the development of this important paper, which will ultimately shape the agency’s future activities and resourcing.
The annual meeting of the NBA and Blood Service Boards in October 2010 provided an excellent opportunity for the NBA Board to offer guidance to the Blood Service about government expectations, priorities, and targets. Similarly, the meeting of the NBA Board Chair and the NBA General Manager with the Blood Service Board in March 2011 provided a forum for the Blood Service to explain its negotiating position with regard to the new Deed of Agreement with the NBA.
The opening of the Blood Service’s purpose-built Sydney Processing Centre on 8 June 2011 was a highlight of the year. This Centre, funded by all Australian governments, is a modular complex that has been designed to meet the Blood Service’s requirements for the next 30 years. The new Centre is responsible for processing blood and blood products from New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. The Board provided valuable advice to the NBA about financial negotiations with the Blood Service for this facility, as well as on the Victorian and Tasmanian Principal Site which is scheduled for completion in early 2012.
The introduction of an output based funding model for the Blood Service on 1 July 2010 was another notable event. The Board provided significant oversight and guidance to the NBA on the development and introduction of the model, which has been designed to improve accountability and provide greater transparency for government funding.
The Board continued to provide advice and guidance to the NBA on significant procurement processes undertaken during 2010–11. Another major achievement for the year was the announcement of the outcomes of the tender for imported plasma and recombinant products. The outcomes of the tender provide Australian patients with blood disorders continued access to quality products free of charge under the national blood arrangements, and an expected saving of between $10m–$30m per year to the Australian community, based on current demand forecasts, without compromising clinical efficacy or patient safety. These arrangements will remain in place for a minimum of three years.
The Statement on national stewardship expectations for the supply of blood and blood products was approved by AHMC on 12 November 2010 following input from the Board. It outlines expectations for those ordering and receiving blood products such as hospitals, laboratories and prescribing doctors and supports the work of jurisdictions in improving the way in which blood is used and managed.
The NBA is assisting the Jurisdictional Blood Committee (JBC) and the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare (ACSQHC) on the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standard for blood and blood product to develop a national implementation framework, including key national and jurisdictional priorities for 2011–12.
The NBA received funding from DoHA to undertake two research projects: Blood sector research strategy preliminary gap analysis and Impediments to better practice in demand management in the blood sector. The Board provided advice on both the scope of the research and content of the reports. The two reports were provided to DoHA in May 2011.
The Board has continued to oversee measures to mitigate risks to both the blood supply and the NBA. A key focus of the Board was providing advice to the NBA on its approach to maintaining supplies of IVIg following the voluntary recall of Octagam (IVIg). The Board also advised the NBA management on the structure and content of the NBA’s strategic risk management plan for 2011–12 which is a key component of the agency’s overall planning processes and is linked to the corporate and operational plans.
The Board has maintained an active role in the NBA’s national information management and reporting strategies through oversight of the sector information management and data strategy. This has three key elements: data capture capability; governance; and publishing and release of data. Good progress has been made in a range of national system developments. Data from these and other sources will be used to populate a national performance scorecard for the sector which will measure the sector’s overall efficiency and effectiveness. A key element of the strategy is the introduction of BloodNet, a streamlined online blood ordering system that is an essential step to improving current inventory management processes. The NBA is making good progress with the national implementation of this innovative system.
The NBA’s new corporate plan, which is scheduled for consideration by health ministers in August 2011, was developed following considerable input from the Board. It identifies the following two core priorities for the next two years:
The Board has ensured that the two-year length of the corporate plan is aligned with a major recommendation of the Administrative Review of the National Blood Arrangements 2009 that the NBA prepare an options paper on the agency’s priorities for 2012–15 and future funding requirements. The details within the options paper that are supported by governments will then form the basis of the corporate plan for 2012–15.
A key role of the Board is to provide advice to the General Manager about the performance of the NBA’s functions. The NBA has again performed to a high standard during 2010–11 completing 84 per cent of the activities identified in the agency’s 2010–11 operational plan. While good gains were made, some key milestones were not met due to changes in sector priorities and key staff. The delays did not impact on external stakeholders.
In determining the 2011–12 priorities, the Board has been cognisant of broader processes including the outcomes of the inaugural Clinical, Technical and Ethical Principal Committee (CTEPC) Blood Policy Forum; the subsequent joint CTEPC/JBC meeting held on 24 March 2011; and the DoHA-funded research directed at resolving funding sustainability and better information for the sector on demand management. On this basis, key priorities that the Board will focus on during 2011–12 are:
I would like to take the opportunity to thank the outgoing Chair and Board members for their significant contributions during their terms of office. The previous Board Chair, Mr Garry Richardson, stepped down in May 2011 after four years of service, as did Mr Rob Christie the community representative. Dr Peter Lewis-Hughes is also an outgoing member; he was first appointed as Public Health Expert in 2003 and as state and territory representative in 2007.
It would be remiss to finish this report without acknowledging the efforts of Dr Turner, the inaugural General Manager and CEO, in effectively establishing the NBA and building it into a credible, respected organisation that provides leadership in the blood sector with the best interests of the users of blood and blood products in mind. I thank her on behalf of past Board members for her outstanding contribution.
I look forward to working with the new and ongoing members of the NBA Board and the NBA to ensure that the blood sector continues to operate in an efficient and effective manner with enhanced flexibility to respond to the changing requirements of the health sector.
Gayle Ginnane
Chair
National Blood Authority