EmailOrgan & Tissue Donation
National Organ Donation Collaborative
In early 2006, Commonwealth, State and Territory governments funded a national organ donation collaborative. 26 Australian hospitals took part in the program which was funded until July 2009. The primary objective of the collaborative was to increase organ and tissue donation rates nationally. The Victorian Government supported the collaborative. Analysis of donation data suggests that the collaborative program helped to increase donation rates by 30% nationally in 2008.
National Reform Agenda
In July 2006, Health Ministers recognised that if Australia wishes to narrow the widening gap between the need and availability of organs and tissues for transplantation, a new approach was required. The Commonwealth Government signalled its support for reform by committing $28 million for national initiatives towards achieving this goal.
As part of this strategy, the National Clinical Taskforce on Organ and Tissue Donation, comprising experts from across the sector, was established in October 2006.
The Taskforce provided its final report to the Government on 14 February 2008 with 52 key recommendations.
A World’s Best Practice Approach to Organ & Tissue Donation for Transplantation
On 2 July 2008 the Australian Government announced a total Commonwealth funding package of $151.1 million, including new funding of $136.4 million over four years, for measures to significantly improve Australians’ access to life-saving organ transplants.
The funding package aims to establish Australia as a world leader in best practice organ donation for transplantation through an integrated and comprehensive national reform package.
The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) endorsed the reform package on 3 July 2008 and agreed that the Commonwealth would lead implementation in partnership with states and territories.
Key features of the national reform package include:
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The establishment of a new independent national authority to coordinate national organ donation initiatives
The Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority (the Authority) began operation on 1 January 2009 and established for the first time in Australia a nationally-coordinated approach to organ and tissue donation based on world’s best practice models. The new independent Authority will provide national leadership to the organ and tissue sector and will drive, implement and monitor reform initiatives and programs.
The Authority oversees a network of State/Territory-based Organ and Tissue Donation Agencies (OTDA). The Australian Red Cross Blood Service (ARCBS) hosts the DonateLife Victorian organ donation agency. The Department of Health appointed Dr Helen Opdam as the inaugural Victorian Medical Director of Organ and Tissue Donation. Dr Opdam leads DonateLife in Victoria and holds statewide program responsibility to the Authority.
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Funding for dedicated Hospital-based Medical Directors and Nurses for Organ and Tissue Donation
Dr Opdam is directing the implementation and coordination of the activities of the DonateLife network of Hospital-based Organ and Tissue Donation Medical Directors and Nurses in Victoria. Appointees to these clinical positions will facilitate and coordinate organ and tissue donation activity and outcomes at individual health services, and support and educate hospital teams in line with the Authority’s programs.
Hospital-based Medical Directors (HMD)
Twenty five organ and tissue donation hospital-based medical directors (8.4 FTE) are appointed across 13 Victorian Hospitals.
The HMD will be responsible for the local implementation of the national reform package that aims to ensure that all potential donors are properly recognised and the opportunity for donation is available where appropriate.
Hospital-based Senior Nurses (HSN)
33 organ and tissue donation hospital-based senior nurses (15.1 FTE) are appointed across 24 Victorian hospitals. The nurses will work with the HMD to educate staff and support donor families. The HSN are also responsible for collecting data and reporting against the performance goals set by the Authority to ensure that local hospital practice and systems are in line with the national programs.
Hospital HMD FTE HSN FTE 1
The Alfred
1
1.5
2
The Royal Melbourne Hospital
1
1.5
3
Austin Hospital
1
1
4
St Vincent's Hospital
0.8
0.8
5
Monash Medical Centre
0.8
0.8
6
Dandenong Hospital
0.5
0.5
7
Box Hill Hospital
0.5
0.5
8
Maroondah Hospital
0.3
0.5
9
The Royal Children's Hospital
0.5
0.5
10
Frankston Hospital
0.5
0.5
11
The Northern Hospital
0.5
0.5
12
Western Hospital
0.5
0.5
13
The Geelong Hospital
0.5
0.5
14
Ballarat Health Services
-
0.5
15
Bendigo Health Care Group
-
0.5
16
Latrobe Regional Hospital
-
0.5
17
Goulburn Valley Health
-
0.5
18
Mildura Base Hospital
-
0.5
19
South West Healthcare
-
0.5
20
Albury Wodonga Health
-
0.5
21
Northeast Health Wangaratta
-
0.5
22
Central Gippsland Health Service
-
0.5
23
Epworth Private Hospital
-
0.5
24
Cabrini Private Hospital
-
0.5
On Wednesday 11 November 2009 the Minister for Health Daniel Andrews opened the Victorian National Induction Program for the new DonateLife in Victoria network of hospital-based clinical staff. The three-day Victorian National Induction Program provided the HMD and HSN with an extensive introduction to their roles as part of the organ and tissue donation national reform package.
- Funding for the extra costs associated with organ donation
Since 1 July 2009, public and private hospitals participating in organ donation activity are eligible to receive funding to assist with addressing the additional costs associated with organ donation. This funding stream is known as “Activity Based Funding”.
The Activity Based Funding model provides supplementary funding across the spectrum of organ donation activity. It is a standard cost model providing funding contribution for donation activity paid at the same rate to all hospitals without regard to their location.
Payments will be made on a quarterly retrospective basis to eligible hospitals for verifiable organ donation activity.
To be eligible to receive funding, claim forms will need to be submitted to the Authority as payments will be made for a range of organ donation activities, not just actual organ donation. The necessary claim form is part of the data collection tool that has been designed to support Activity Based Funding. The Authority has distributed the organ donation activity data collection tool to the 24 Victorian hospitals with funded specialist staff for organ and tissue donation.
Claim process
Once a Victorian health service has completed its organ donation activity data collection for a particular quarter, fax a signed Activity Based Funding claim form to the DonateLife Victorian organ donation agency at (61 3) 9349 2730.
DonateLife Victoria will collate and review submitted claim forms before forwarding to the Organ and Tissue Authority for processing. The Authority will review all submitted claim forms. If further data verification is required for a particular hospital, the Authority will contact the Victorian Medical Director of Organ and Tissue Donation.
Once satisfied with the accuracy of the claim forms, the Authority will prepare a recipient created invoice and disburse the funding directly to the hospital. The Authority will send the invoice to the relevant hospital contact with a copy to the Victorian Medical Director.
For further information on the Activity Based Funding model and for instructions on how to obtain the data collection tool, visit the Organ and Tissue Authority website.
- Australian Paired Kidney Exchange (AKX) Program
National Cord Blood Collection Network (NCBCN)
The National Cord Blood Collection Network is funded by all Australian governments, to facilitate the collection of haemopoietic stem cells (HTCs) from the placenta and umbilical cord after birth. The cord blood is then used in the treatment of leukaemia or other diseases. The cord blood collected in this manner becomes part of a national cord blood registry and is available for access by all Australians in need.
Contact
Verna Wan
Telephone: (61 3) 9096 0212
Karen Botting
Telephone: (61 3) 9096 1316
