New Zealand Blood Service Welcomes Organ Donation New Zealand
New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) welcomes Organ Donation
New Zealand (ODNZ) to the Service from Monday, November 30,
in a move to support and further develop the work of ODNZ
and New Zealand hospital staff which has seen a substantial
increase in organ and tissue donation in recent
years.
This follows legislation, the Organ Donors and
Related Matters Act, passed in November 2019, providing for
the transfer of the statutory functions of the organ
donation service to NZBS.
The transition will see the
integration of the small, highly specialised and dedicated
team from ODNZ into NZBS’ national organisation. Until now
this 24-hour, national service which manages all deceased
organ and tissue donations has been a business unit of the
Auckland District Health Board.
“Integrating the two
organisations is the first step toward improving New
Zealand’s organ donation rates, which have increased over
recent years but are still low compared with other
countries,” says Associate Minister of Health Hon Peeni
Henare.
“The new agency will have national oversight of
organ donation and distribution, as well as blood collection
and supply services. This will enable a better, more
coordinated approach to both organ and blood donations,”
says Deputy Director-General of Health for DHB Performance,
Support and Infrastructure, Robyn Shearer.
“The agency
will also play a key role in supporting families and whānau
to make donation decisions,” says Ms Shearer.
“We are
delighted to welcome the highly respected members of the
ODNZ team into the New Zealand Blood Service whānau,” CEO
of NZBS Sam Cliffe says.
“This is a fantastic
opportunity to bring together two outstanding
organisations. Like NZBS, everyone at ODNZ is
passionate about the work they do, which is carried out with
compassion, respect and specialist knowledge and skills. Now
with access to the resources of our national organisation,
we can look forward to working together to build on the
excellent work that has been done to
date.”
“ODNZ welcomes the opportunities that
working within NZBS will bring to our service” says Dr Jo
Ritchie. “We look forward to strengthening our
relationships with all those involved in organ and tissue
donation, ensuring that respect, inclusiveness and
cooperation remain at the centre of our
values”.
About Organ Donation New
Zealand
The National Office of Transplant Donor
Coordination, as it was originally called, was established
in 1987. It became Organ Donation New Zealand (ODNZ) in
2005.
ODNZ provides a 24-hour, 7-days a week, clinical
service for deceased organ and tissue donation to health
professionals in hospitals throughout New Zealand. ODNZ
works with those health professionals to ensure that
processes for deceased donation are nationally consistent
and meet the highest medical, ethical and legal standards.
ODNZ coordinates the process of donation which provides
organs and tissues to transplant units in New Zealand and
Australia and tissue banks in New Zealand. It also provides
on-going support for donor families, education and training
for healthcare professionals and accurate factual
information to the public.
The ODNZ team comprises 11
people (8.5 FTE).
In 2019, 74 deceased organ donors
donated organs for transplantation in New Zealand,
benefitting 227 recipients. Many more people received tissue
transplants (eye tissue, heart valves and skin) from these
donors.
About Organ Donation New
Zealand
The National Office of Transplant Donor
Coordination, as it was originally called, was established
in 1987. It became Organ Donation New Zealand (ODNZ) in
2005.
ODNZ provides a 24-hour, 7-days a week, clinical
service for deceased organ and tissue donation to health
professionals in hospitals throughout New Zealand. ODNZ
works with those health professionals to ensure that
processes for deceased donation are nationally consistent
and meet the highest medical, ethical and legal standards.
ODNZ coordinates the process of donation which provides
organs and tissues to transplant units in New Zealand and
Australia and tissue banks in New Zealand. It also provides
on-going support for donor families, education and training
for healthcare professionals and accurate factual
information to the public.
The ODNZ team comprises 11
people (8.5 FTE).
In 2019, 74 deceased organ donors
donated organs for transplantation in New Zealand,
benefitting 227 recipients. Many more people received tissue
transplants (eye tissue, heart valves and skin) from these
donors.