• Contents
• Letter of transmittal
• User guide
• part 1:overview of the nba and the blood sector
• part 2: highlights of 2011–12
• NBA's Performance
  (PARTS 3,4, AND 5)
• part 3: performance: securing the supply of blood and blood products
• part 4: performance: improving the sector and its management of risk
• part 5: performance: supporting appropriate and safe use of blood and blood products
• part 6: Corporate management
• part 7: financial management and accountability
• part 8: appendices
  • A1 Blood sector stakeholders and governance
  • A2 The National Blood Agreement: objectives of governments
  • A3 NBA agency resource statement
  • A4 NBA Board Members
  • A5 Fresh blood components supplied under contract by the blood service 2011–12
  • A6 Plasma and recombinant products supplied under contract in 2011–12
  • A7 Units of red cells, platelets and IVIg issued per 1000 head of population by state and territory 2007–08 to 2011–12
  • A8 Responsibility and composition of governance committees
  • A9 Mandatory reporting
  • A10 Errata
  • A11 Glossary of terms and acronyms
  • A12 List of requirements

appendicies

APPENDIX 1. BLOOD SECTOR STAKEHOLDERS AND GOVERNANCE

Stakeholders

Australian, state and territory governments

As signatories to the National Blood Agreement, the Australian, state and territory governments are responsible for:

• establishing the policy framework and specific policies relating to the national blood supply
• overseeing the NBA’s management of the blood supply arrangements
• fostering the development and implementation of best practice systems to promote efficient use and minimal wastage of blood and blood products
• providing information on demand for blood and blood products
• managing local issues.

Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)

The TGA is the regulator for blood and blood products in Australia. It is responsible for:

• regulating the efficacy and safety of blood and blood products under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989
• auditing supplies against good manufacturing practice
• issuing product recalls
• issuing modifications to safety standards
• issuing directives such as those relating to donor deferral.

Suppliers of blood and blood products in Australia

The NBA contracts with a number of suppliers for the provision of blood and blood components and products including:

• the Australian Red Cross Blood Service (the Blood Service), which collects fresh blood from voluntary donors
• CSL Limited, which fractionates plasma from blood collected by the Blood Service and supplies a range of plasma products purchased through the NBA contract with CSL Limited.

During the year, the NBA has held contracts with suppliers for the provision of blood and blood products under standing offer arrangements with:

• Baxter Healthcare Pty Ltd, Grifols Australia Pty Ltd and Octapharma Australia Pty Ltd, for the provision of overseas-sourced intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg)
• Baxter Healthcare Pty Ltd, Bayer Australia Ltd, CSL Limited, Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd and Pfizer Australia Pty Ltd for the provision of a range of imported plasma-derived and recombinant blood products
• Abacus ALS Pty Ltd, Bio-Rad Laboratories Pty Ltd, CSL Limited, Grifols Australia Pty Ltd and Johnson and Johnson Medical Pty Ltd (trading as Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics), for the supply of diagnostic reagents.

Governance

The key governing bodies in the Australian blood sector and their roles and relationships with each other are set out in the National Blood Agreement and the National Blood Authority Act 2003.

Standing Committee on Health (formerly the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference)

The SCoH is responsible for overseeing and managing the blood sector. It sets the governance, policy and financial frameworks under which the NBA operates. In 2011–12 health ministers:

• endorsed a proposed action plan for the development of a new deed of agreement with the Red Cross
• noted funding proposals for rebasing the NBA office and for data and performance improvement activities, over four years
• noted the Blood Service’s Statement of Expectations performance report for 2010–11 and approved in-principle publication of the report on the NBA website each year
• endorsed the revised Criteria for the Clinical use of intravenous immunoglobulin in Australia (second edition)
• endorsed the NBA Corporate Plan 2010–2012
• noted the report on progress with implementing the recommendations of the Administrative Review of the National Blood Arrangements 2009
• approved the NSP&B 2011–12.
  

The Hon Catherine King MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the former Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon Nicola Roxon MP, and to the current Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, has had executive responsibility for the NBA within the Australian Government health portfolio since 14 September 2010.

Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council (AHMAC)

AHMAC provides support to the SCoH. It advises the health ministers on strategic matters relating to the coordination of health services across the nation and, as necessary, with New Zealand. The Council considers blood sector matters referred to it by the JBC through the CTEPC, and reports as necessary, to the SCoH. The Council has no statutory power and decisions are reached by consensus.

Clinical, Technical and Ethical Principal Committee (CTEPC)

The CTEPC was established in 2006 to provide advice to the AHMAC on a range of issues, such as:

• clinical, technical and medico-ethical developments that are likely to affect more than one jurisdiction
• options for ongoing coordination of the clinical and technical services that are managed on a national basis
• the appropriateness, effectiveness and safety of clinical and technical developments and any policy implications arising from such issues
• the impact of clinical and technical developments on the delivery and management of health care and other services
• the impact of these developments outside the health care sector.

The CTEPC held its last meeting in February 2012. Following a review of AHMAC Principal Committees, jurisdictions have agreed that a new AHMAC Principal Committee structure will commence in July 2012. Under the new arrangements the JBC will report to the Hospitals Principal Committee which will meet for the first time in early July 2012.

Jurisdictional Blood Committee (JBC)

Australian, state and territory governments are represented on the JBC, which was established by the National Blood Agreement in 2003. The committee is the conduit between governments and the NBA. It represents the Australian, state and territory governments’ positions on blood policy, demand, supply planning and product distribution, funding and evidence-based approaches to emerging products, services and technologies. It oversees the NBA’s role in blood  supply contracting. It is also the primary body responsible for providing advice and support on these matters to the SCoH through the CTEPC, of which it has been a subcommittee since September 2006, and the AHMAC.

Following a recommendation of the Administrative Review of the National Blood Arrangements 2009. The CTEPC strengthened communication links between it and the JBC by appointing a representative of the CTEPC to attend the JBC meetings. During 2011–12, Dr Stephen Christley attended the JBC meetings.

Members of the JBC serve on various NBA committees and working groups and are a highly respected and valuable source of advice and expertise. During the year, several members stepped down, including Mr Geoff Simon (QLD), Ms Kelly Burns (NT),
Ms Donna Burton (Commonwealth), and Dr Priya Dubey (TAS).

The members of the committee at 30 June 2012 were: