RED CROSS BLOOD SERVICE

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite) (16:21): My question is again to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Has a cost-benefit analysis or impact statement been done on the possible scale-back of the SA Blood Services testing and processing capabilities, either by the Red Cross or the government and, if so, will he make the document publicly available? Public reports have proposed that the Australian Red Cross Blood Service is set to scale back its Adelaide operations, forcing blood donations to be shipped to Melbourne. It has been reported that the move would cost up to 70 full-time jobs, coming on the back of a slow downgrade of research and development capabilities in SA.

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts) (16:22): I thank the member for Waite for his question. As he and other members would know, the blood service is not a government service. We at a national level contribute on a formula basis to support the blood service to collect blood and blood products right around Australia. They have looked at their own business case, and my understanding is that they have done an assessment (I am not sure whether it is publicly available) and come to the conclusion that there are more efficient ways of running the service, and that includes having the blood work done through, I think, Victoria.

I am happy to get some further details for the member. It is something that is obviously regrettable to see the transfer of operations from our state to another state. The other viewpoint of course is that that will take pressure off taxpayers, who have to fund these services. It is always a balance between wanting to maintain existing operational structures and wanting to make savings to make sure services can be delivered in the most cost-effective way possible. The blood service obviously has to make those decisions, and ministers have to consider the recommendations. Whether or not the paperwork, which I guess is really what the member is asking for, the business case, is available publicly, I am not sure. I will certainly make inquiries and, if it is, I will give him a copy.