DonateLife | Australian Organ & Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority

The Nine Measures

Objectives

In 2008 the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) endorsed the Australian Government’s National Reform Agenda to implement a world’s best practice approach to organ and tissue donation for transplantation.

The Government committed $151 million over four years to establish a nationally coordinated approach to organ and tissue donation processes. The Organ and Tissue Authority works with states and territories, clinicians and the community sector, to deliver the Australian Government's reform agenda to implement a world's best practice approach to organ and tissue donation for transplantation.

Strategy

The twin objectives of the National Reform Agenda are to:

  • increase the capability and capacity within the health system to maximise donation rates; and
  • raise community awareness and stakeholder engagement across Australia to promote organ and tissue donation.

This is being achieved by implementing the following COAG endorsed nine measures of the National Reform Agenda:

Measure 1: A new national approach and system – a national authority and network of organ procurement organisations

Measure 2: Specialist hospital staff and systems dedicated to organ donation

Measure 3: New funding for hospitals

Measure 4: National professional awareness and education

Measure 5: Coordinated ongoing community awareness and education

Measure 6: Support for donor families

Measure 7: Safe,equitable and transparent national transplantation process

Measure 8: National eye and tissue donation and transplantation

Measure 9: Additional national initiatives, including living donation programs

OTA manages implementation of these elements of the National Reform Agenda through leadership and collaboration with the DonateLife Network comprising: state and territory Medical Directors, organ and tissue donation agencies and hospital-based doctors and nurses dedicated to organ and tissue donation. Other significant stakeholders engaged in implementation of the National Reform Package are: state and territory governments, eye and tissue banks, community organisations and the broad donation and transplantation clinical sectors.

Details of national donation and transplantation performance are provided in the Organ and Tissue Authority 2011 Performance Update.