The price of blood is more than doubling - from about $70 for 450ml to about $150 - from July 1.
The general manager operations of the Blood Service, Jennifer Mitchell, said the Government had introduced two new processes to prevent possible transmission of mad cow disease, HIV and hepatitis C through transfusions.
Both processes were expensive and the increases had been signalled.
The blood service was non-profit-making and its costings were audited by the Health Ministry, she said in response to concern from the Dunedin Hospital advisory committee.
Committee director Professor David Stewart said that the health sector had been assured prices could be controlled as quality rose.
Blood price to double
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