The union for Ontario nurses is backing the Liberal government's plan to crack down on pay-for-blood clinics but says it's worried about how blood donors are screened in the province.
The Ontario Nurses' Association said Wednesday it supports the government's decision to introduce legislation to ban payments to people for their blood and blood plasma, following the opening of paid plasma clinics in Toronto.
But the association said it has ongoing concerns over how Canadian Blood Services, the non-profit charity that runs the voluntary donor system, is screening potential donors, without registered nurses.
"We have been fighting a battle to protect our blood supply system for well over a year, since the Canadian Blood Services launched a program to replace RNs with donor care associates," said union president  Linda Haslam-Stroud.  "Now the threat of privatizing our blood donor system attacks its integrity and safety. We're pleased to see the Ontario government taking steps to prevent this from happening,"
The Ontario legislation tabled by Health Minister Eric Hoskins also incorporates changes recommended in the wake of an inquiry into why more than 1,200 cancer patients in Ontario and New Brunswick received diluted chemotherapy drugs.
The proposed measures include giving the Ontario College of Pharmacists the power to inspect and license hospital pharmacies and potentially other locations in the future.
British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick have similar rules.
The nurses association said it will continue to fight against the use of donor care associates, which the union said are unregulated workers that screen potential blood donors at clinics across Canada.
The union said its primary concern is that donors won't be properly screened and will pose a risk to Ontario's blood supply.
Nurses' unions in many provinces lobbied Health Canada to prevent this change but failed to stop it. Haslam-Stroud said rigorous screening is needed to prevent another tainted blood scandal, like one that occurred in the 1990s and led to a federal inquiry into the Canadian blood system.
"Ontario's nurses will never forget the lessons learned, and we will always speak out when our blood supply is at risk."
ONA represents 60,000 front-line registered nurses as well as more than 14,000 nursing students who work in hospitals, long-term care homes and in  public health, communities, industry and clinics.

Nurses’ union warns about blood screening policies

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