Wellington Blood Bank gets major upgrade in new purpose-built facility

New Zealand Blood Service has officially opened its new Wellington Blood Bank, marking a significant investment in the future of New Zealand's blood supply and ensuring the Greater Wellington region is well placed to meet growing demand for specialist blood banking and transfusion laboratory services. 

Opened today by Hon Simeon Brown, Minister of Health, the facility at Wellington Regional Hospital is more than three times larger than the previous site and has been designed to support growing demand, improve resilience and provide capacity for future expansion. 

Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the Wellington Blood Bank plays a vital role in patient care by providing specialist testing and managing the supply of blood and blood products for the region. 

The Service’s Chief Executive Sam Cliffe said demand for specialist testing and transfusion support has grown significantly since the blood bank was first set up at Wellington Regional Hospital over 45 years ago. 

"Most people never see the work that happens inside a blood bank, but it is a critical part of modern healthcare. Behind every transfusion is a team of highly skilled professionals working around the clock to make sure patients receive the right blood products when they need them most. 

"This new facility is about preparing for the future. It gives us the capacity, resilience and modern infrastructure we need to meet growing demand, support increasingly complex healthcare services, and continue providing world-class transfusion support for patients across the Wellington region. 

"Just as importantly, it's an investment in our people. Our Wellington team delivers an extraordinary service every day, and they now have a laboratory designed to support the vital work they do for years to come." 

The new laboratory has space for additional testing capability, including a second blood analyser and increased refrigerated storage to help ensure continuity of service. 

Dan Gyles, Team Leader Blood Bank Wellington, leads a tour around the new facility.

The Wellington Blood Bank team of 15 staff, including 13 scientists, carries out around 40,000 tests each year. Their work helps ensure patients receive the right blood and blood products when they need them by storing and managing donated blood, undertaking specialist compatibility testing before transfusions, and performing highly specialised testing to support services such as kidney transplantation. 

Cliffe said the new facility also creates opportunities to further develop pathology expertise within New Zealand and the Pacific. 

"The additional space gives us room to continue growing our workforce and, importantly, enables us to resume supporting the Pacific Pathology Training Centre by providing practical laboratory training for pathology professionals from across the Pacific." 

Michelle Sutherland, Interim Group Director of Operations for Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley, said the new blood bank is an important investment in the region's health services.  

"The Wellington Blood Bank is an essential part of the care we provide every day at Wellington Regional Hospital. Having this purpose-built facility on site strengthens our ability to deliver timely, safe and high-quality care for patients who need blood transfusions and other specialist services.  

“We're proud to continue our close partnership with New Zealand Blood Service to support the health needs of our communities now and into the future." 

Minister of Health Hon Simeon Brown joined New Zealand Blood Service Chief Executive Sam Cliffe, representatives from Health New Zealand, members of the Service’s Board and invited guests to mark the opening of the Wellington Blood Bank. 

For media inquiries, please contact:

Sandy Trigg, Network Communication, 021 231 9406, sandy.trigg@networkcommunication.co.nz

Ximena Smith, New Zealand Blood Service, 027 844 0073, ximena.smith@nzblood.co.nz