Australian Red Cross Lifeblood and the NBA

Australian Red Cross Lifeblood(Opens in a new tab/window) (Lifeblood) is the only supplier of fresh blood products in Australia. Lifeblood collects all blood and plasma in Australia by donation. The fresh products are used for medical purposes, and it also supplies plasma to CSL Behring to create plasma-derived products.

Lifeblood is a division of the Australian Red Cross Society, a not-for-profit organisation.

The National Blood Authority (NBA) negotiates and manages contracts for the supply of blood and blood products and services in Australia, including with Lifeblood.

Find out more about suppliers and commercial supply contracts.

Deed of Agreement with Lifeblood

The NBA has a Deed of Agreement with the Australian Red Cross to secure fresh blood supplies and services from Lifeblood. The current agreement was signed in 2016 and is in place for 9 years, until 30 June 2025.Arrangements from July 2025 onwards are currently being worked on.

In summary, the deed:

  • sets a high-level framework for the supply of blood and blood products.
  • describes the blood supply and funding arrangements between the NBA and the Australian Red Cross. This helps maintain a safe and affordable supply of blood for Australia.
  • covers the reasonable costs of Lifeblood in collecting, processing, and supplying blood and services. This funding ensures blood and blood products can be provided at no cost to patients.

Funding Lifeblood

The NBA funds Lifeblood through arrangements with the Australian, state and territory governments. A Funding and Services Agreement (FSA) supports the Deed of Agreement. 

A new FSA is agreed between the NBA and the Australian Red Cross every 3 years within the 9-year term of the Deed. The current FSA runs from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2025.

Under the FSA, we manage annual supply plans and budgets. We consult on these with the Australian, state and territory governments and suppliers, including Lifeblood. We develop a National Supply Plan and Budget (NSP&B) for the supply and demand of blood products and services for Australian Health Providers. The governments approve this budget as part of the process.

The OBFM guides a 3-year funding cycle for Lifeblood and the pricing of blood products. It outlines the terms and conditions of funding agreed between us and Lifeblood. Unit prices for blood products are set before each funding cycle.

We make the following types of payments to Lifeblood:

  • product price payments (including operating costs)
  • specified payments (including capital costs)
  • other payments.

You can find out more about Lifeblood's financial arrangements in its latest annual report(Opens in a new tab/window).

Cost of Lifeblood

Lifeblood's funding for 2023-24 was $A725.6 million.

Find out more about expenditure in our latest annual report.

 

 

Funding for Lifeblood, showing the growth and cost of fresh blood expenditure in Australia for over a 10-year period since 2014
YearAmount (A$ million)% growth
2014–15547.1-6.2
2015–16588.47.5
2016–17582.4-1.0
2017–18620.76.6
2018–19667.97.6
2019–20651.5-2.5
2020–21698.57.2
2021–22708.81.5
2022–23685.8-3.2
2023–24752.69.7
Total6,503.82.7 (average)

Lifeblood's performance reporting

A Statement of Expectations (SoE) sets out how we expect Lifeblood to meet its responsibilities under the deed. It outlines the priorities and reasonable expectations that the Australian, state and territory governments have for Lifeblood. We develop an SoE with Lifeblood every 3 years.

We report on Lifeblood's performance against the SoE to the health ministers.

Lifeblood's business plan(Opens in a new tab/window) sets out its strategic objectives and performance measures. It reports against these in its annual report(Opens in a new tab/window).

Get in touch

If you have a query about fresh blood products in Australia, please contact supply.management.fresh@blood.gov.au.

Last updated: 24 Mar 2025

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