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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 5 Hansard (11 May) . . Page.. 1434 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

Mr Speaker, the purpose of this bill is to lower the age of consent for blood donations from 18 years to 16 years and to remove the requirement for parental consent to blood donations.

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service of the Australian Capital Territory has approached the government seeking assistance to increase its existing donor base and to align current policies and criteria with interstate blood services. This amendment seeks to enable the blood service to put into place a strategy aimed at securing an adequate donor base into the future.

In the ACT, current policy allows a person younger than 18 years to donate only if the child agrees to the removal, a medical practitioner advises that the removal of blood is not likely to be prejudicial to the health of the child, and parental consent is obtained. These requirements have been interpreted as having to be followed each time a young person wishes to donate blood and they present a barrier to the blood services accessing a large pool of potential blood donors.

Mr Speaker, our health system urgently needs more blood and we clearly need a larger pool of donors to meet this need. Our young people have proven themselves ready, willing and able to meet this challenge, and the amendment seeks merely to remove unnecessary impediments to their performing a safe and valued community service.

The ACT currently has a blood donation school program in place-the "Vampire Shield". Approximately 450 to 500 donations from 16 and 17-year-olds are received through this program each year. However, this number could increase substantially if these amendments were to be introduced. Census data estimates that the number of people in the ACT aged between 15 and 19 in 2005 will be approximately 21,100. The implementation of a strategy aimed at 16 and 17-year-olds will raise community awareness within the youth of the ACT and the school sector and will enable the blood service to build relationships with potential donors for the rest of their lives.

Lowering the age of consent for donating blood does not present a risk to the health of our young people. Donation of blood is a safe procedure. As a further precaution, in accordance with the blood service's donor guidelines, no donation is taken from any person, regardless of age, if the donation is considered prejudicial to the health of the donor. As with donors over 18 years of age, a registered nurse interviews the potential donors and ensures that each person has understood the questions within the medical questionnaire and has no reason not to donate at the time.

Mr Speaker, while this amendment seeks to remove the requirement for 16 and 17-year-olds to obtain parental consent when volunteering to donate blood, I must stress that we are not seeking to diminish the responsibilities of parents in the ACT. Donation of blood is a safe procedure and legal precedents have demonstrated that persons aged 15 and over can consent to medical procedures providing there is understanding and maturity.

Mr Speaker, blood donation is an altruistic community service that we should all encourage and I commend this bill to the Assembly.

Debate (on motion by Mr Stanhope ) adjourned.

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