I am pleased to make a contribution do debate on the Human Tissue Amendment
Bill 2009. The amendment before the house deals only with blood donations. It is
important at the outset to say the bill does not deal with organ and/or tissue
donations.
The key to this amending legislation is being able to increase
the number of people who provide blood donations to the Red Cross, and in this
instance it is to make it easier for 16 and 17-year-olds to donate blood.
Currently we have a situation where each and every time a 16 or
17-year-old wants to donate blood they need the consent of a parent and they
also need an authorisation from a medical practitioner saying that the donation
will not affect their health.
We will now be moving to a situation where 16 and 17-year-olds
will be basically classified as mature minors and will be able to fill in a
donor form like everyone else. The nurse who is administering the procedure will
be the person who will determine whether that 16 or 17-year-old is indeed a
mature minor and is capable of and responsible for undertaking the blood
donation.
The requirement that parents have to sign the consent form and
see a doctor on each occasion has meant it makes it very difficult for a 16 or a
17-year-old to run around to get those sign-offs before they donate blood.
There is clear evidence and a correlation that because of the
extra hurdles that 16 and 17-year-olds currently face, they have not been
donating as frequently as one would normally hope.
This legislative change will mean that we have an increased
cohort in the population that will be able to donate. It also means that 16 and
17-year-olds who have legal guardians for the first time will be able to be
treated the same as everyone else, as a mature minor, and also be able to make
blood donations.
In other states and territories such as South Australia, New
South Wales, the ACT and the Northern Territory, and fairly recently in
Tasmania, this amendment or its like has been implemented. All the evidence in
those states points to there having been an increase in younger people donating
blood.
It is important also that we introduce the younger members of
our community to a program such as this, because I believe it builds on a number
of altruistic values younger people often have. It basically is a demonstration
that they can provide a significant and valuable contribution to the community
by donating blood, and it is hoped they will then also be taking responsibility
in scheduling their own appointments, that those appointments will be reasonably
frequent and that they will build in what I hope becomes a lifetime habit of
donating blood.
I hope that practice will continue and thereby encourage other
young 16 and 17-year-olds to become blood donors. I hope that practice becomes
generational at an early age. I think the ease with which young people will now
be able to donate blood will mean such donations will become a talking point
within young communities, which would obviously be a good thing. I think it will
also engender a sense of discussion about what is required to give blood.
That goes to the heart of maintaining a healthy body,
understanding how your body works and how you can make a contribution to those
who require blood, whether it be for operations, for blood transfusions or for
other reasons. I think it will heighten the conversation and awareness amongst
younger members of our community about the need to look after their bodies and
essentially help those who are in less fortunate situations.
I must say that I was pleasantly surprised when looking at the
information related to this bill to see that the Australian Red Cross Blood
Service actually has a youth donor coordinator. That in itself clearly
demonstrates that the Red Cross has identified the need and put the resources
into trying to get younger people into the blood donation system and the blood
donation habit.
Given that we are streaming online, I take this opportunity to
encourage those who might be out there listening, whether they be someone young
or someone older who can encourage someone who is young, to ring 13 14 95, get
the enrolment form either emailed or faxed to them, fill it out, send it back
and get into the system. Please, get out there and give blood to those in the
rest of the community who deserve and need assistance. I commend this bill to
the house.
