Along with Australia's voluntary, unpaid blood donors, the Australian Red Cross Blood Service (ARCBS) plays a significant role in the quality and safety of the Australian health system.
The vision of the ARCBS is to share life's best gift by the provision of quality blood products, tissues and related services for the benefit of the community. Every year, thousands of people benefit from blood transfusions or blood products, resulting in many lives being saved and a significant improvement in the quality of life of others.
The ARCBS is an operating division of the Australian Red Cross Society, part of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS), and adheres to the international humanitarian principles of the IFRCS.
The ARCBS was established as a national organisation only relatively recently in 1996, but its antecedents date to 1929 through various State and Territory Red Cross Transfusion Services.
Since 2005-06, the ARCBS has been fully funded by the governments of Australia, with the Australian Government contributing 63% of funding and the eight state and territory governments contributing the remaining 37% on a proportional basis.
ABN: 50 169 561 394
Corporate Structure
The national operations of the Australian Red Cross Blood Service exist as five strategic Operations Units:
- Queensland
- New South Wales and ACT
- Victoria and Tasmania
- South Australia
- Western Australia and Northern Territory
The national coordination of the Blood Service is managed from head office at:
Level 6, 464 St Kilda Road, Melbourne.
Our organisation employs approximately 2,200 staff across a range of disciplines including medical, nursing, quality and regulatory affairs, research and development, and administration. We are also supported by 2,500 loyal volunteers and, most importantly, more than 500,000 dedicated, voluntary blood donors.