Before you can order blood or blood products as an Australian Health Provider (AHP), you must meet certain standards. These standards come from the 2010 Australian Health Ministers’ Statement on National Stewardship Expectations on the Supply of Blood and Blood Products (Stewardship Statement).
The Stewardship Statement says that, to receive blood or blood products from us, you should:
- comply with national, evidence-based guidelines when you use, manage or administer blood and blood products
- get informed consent from any patients who receive blood or blood product transfusions
- have processes, programs and facilities in place to avoid wasting blood and blood products
- be accredited with the appropriate bodies to meet all quality and safety obligations
- collect and manage all transfusion-related adverse event information appropriately for your jurisdiction
- have a process that verifies all product orders and receipts for financial accountability
- provide prompt, regular inventory data to help plan supply and demand, especially during national shortages.
Ordering blood or blood products
To order blood or blood products as an AHP, contact Australian Red Cross Lifeblood(Opens in a new tab/window) (Lifeblood).
When you contact Lifeblood, you can specify the types of blood products you want access to.
A Lifeblood transfusion scientist will discuss your needs with you. Based on this discussion, they will fill out an AHP Request Form for you. This form details the blood products you have requested. They will then send the completed form to us for approval.
Lifeblood will contact you if we have any concerns with the products you nominate. Otherwise, the ongoing supply of these products depends on:
- the type of AHP you are, such as a GP, pathology lab or hospital
- what your jurisdiction allows you to access.
Information privacy and sharing
We may share the information in your AHP Request Form with:
- your state or territory health department
- Lifeblood.
Beyond this, we treat all information according to our privacy policy.
If you do not receive approval
If your organisation is not approved to order blood or blood products, Lifeblood will contact you to discuss the reasons. We may also discuss your application with your state or territory health department.
Your state or territory health department is responsible for deciding which blood and blood products AHPs can access. It may decide that:
- you can receive some products, but others are restricted
- you cannot receive any blood or blood products.
Get in touch
For any questions about this process, please contact us.
Phone: 1300 025 663 (13 000 BLOOD)
Last updated: 27 Mar 2024