Blood and blood products are a critical component of health care. We manage the national blood supply to ensure Australian Health Providers have reliable and efficient access to products needed for patient care. We also ensure the system provides value for money.

We develop guidance and support materials to implement best practices in patient blood management and blood product management.

Find out more about fresh blood and other blood products.

Patient blood management

Patient blood management (PBM) improves patient outcomes by improving the patient's medical and surgical management in ways that boost and conserve the patient's own blood.

Patient blood management guidelines

We fund and manage the development and publication of the PBM Guidelines. The PBM Guidelines reflect a systematic review of the scientific literature and clinical expert consensus.

Read our guidelines and find out how to use PBM for your patients.

Blood Management Standard

The Blood Management Standard is one of 8 National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards. It aims to improve patient safety by making sure blood and blood products are handled and used appropriately. This includes using PBM where appropriate.

Blood product management activities recognise that donated blood and blood products are valuable resources. Respecting their value means:

We have developed resources to help you improve each area of blood product management.

Transfusion-related adverse events

We monitor adverse events and analyse event patterns. This helps us identify areas of risk and opportunities for improvement. Health professionals must report transfusion-related adverse events.

Understand your role in haemovigilance and know what to do if a transfusion-related adverse event happens.

Bleeding disorders

Many Australians are living with a bleeding disorder. Common bleeding disorders include:

  • haemophilia A – deficiency in coagulation factor VIII
  • haemophilia B – deficiency in coagulation factor IX
  • von Willebrand disease – deficiency in von Willebrand factor.

Find out how to manage patients with bleeding disorders.

Australian Bleeding Disorders Registry

The Australian Bleeding Disorders Registry (ABDR) is a database used to collect information on bleeding disorders.

Patients can use the MyABDR app to record bleeds and treatments for themselves or a person in their care.

Immunoglobulin

Immunoglobulin (Ig) products provide critical therapy for people with immunodeficiencies and some autoimmune disorders. They are made from donated blood and plasma, making them a limited resource.

We set criteria that ensure our Ig resources go to those patients with the greatest clinical need.

To access government-funded Ig products, patients need to meet the criteria and policy requirements.

Find out how we manage access to Ig products.

eLearning courses

Provide your patients with the best care and treatment. BloodSafe eLearning Australia has free online training courses and resources to help you stay up-to-date.

Public consultations

We run public consultations as we plan, make and test policies and resources.

Take part in our current public consultations or learn about recent consultations.

Patient information

You can help your patients understand and manage their blood disorders.

Guideline for the prophylactic use of Rh D immunoglobulin in pregnancy care

We published the Guidelines on the Prophylactic Use of Rh D Immunoglobulin (Anti-D) in Obstetrics in 2003 to provide clinical guidance on antenatal prophylaxis. That guideline addressed supply constraints at the time of publication by including a staged implementation process for a full antenatal prophylaxis program in Australia. More information on the guideline can be found here(Opens in a new tab/window).

Get in touch

If you have any questions, please contact us.

Last updated: 27 Mar 2024

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