❓ Question regarding the cost difference between providing the SouthWest24 crisis call service from Sydney versus Perth during specific hours. The Minister's response deflects by referencing previous unsubstantiated allegations made by the questioning member.
AnsweredQoN 722Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
SOUTHWEST24 CALL CENTRE
I am informed by McKesson Asia-Pacific Pty Ltd that at the time the contract for the SouthWest24 crisis call service was being negotiated, it was decided that calls made after 10.00 pm until 8.00 am would be diverted to Sydney to reduce costs. Will the minister please indicate the difference in cost between the Sydney option and the Perth option for providing the SouthWest24 crisis call service after 10.00 pm until 8.00 am each day? Hon SUE ELLERY
I am informed by McKesson Asia-Pacific Pty Ltd that at the time the contract for the SouthWest24 crisis call service was being negotiated, it was decided that calls made after 10.00 pm until 8.00 am would be diverted to Sydney to reduce costs. Will the minister please indicate the difference in cost between the Sydney option and the Perth option for providing the SouthWest24 crisis call service after 10.00 pm until 8.00 am each day? Hon SUE ELLERY
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The minister advises that he is very surprised that the member would raise any issue relating to the SouthWest24 crisis call service after her false and scandalous allegations under parliamentary privilege, which the member subsequently admitted she could not substantiate. The specific allegations made in Parliament on Tuesday, 2 May 2006, were, firstly - . . . that the mother of a suicidal man living in the south west was put on hold for 30 minutes by SouthWest24 after the man had doused himself in petrol? The second allegation was - . . . that the Sydney-based operator told the parent to go to her nearest psychiatric unit, which was two and a half hours away? The third allegation was - . . . that the mother was advised to get her local hospital to fax a report to the psychiatric unit but, as the call was made on a Saturday, the report could not be sent until the following Tuesday. However, the answer to the specific question asked is: McKesson Asia-Pacific commenced providing the SouthWest24 crisis call service in May 2003. McKesson Asia-Pacific estimated that providing this service from Perth at the rate of fewer than 15 calls a night, and using the then current call rates and service standards, would cost an additional $90 354 per annum than if the service were provided from its already-staffed Sydney office. If the activity exceeded 15 calls a night, and the then current call rates and service standards were maintained, the cost would have been an additional $219 041 per annum. McKesson Asia-Pacific stated that this additional cost was related to having to staff the Perth office overnight with experienced mental health personnel to manage the call centre. Since the service began, SouthWest24 has received an average of fewer than 10 calls a night between 10.00 pm and 8.00 am.
Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The minister advises that he is very surprised that the member would raise any issue relating to the SouthWest24 crisis call service after her false and scandalous allegations under parliamentary privilege, which the member subsequently admitted she could not substantiate. The specific allegations made in Parliament on Tuesday, 2 May 2006, were, firstly - . . . that the mother of a suicidal man living in the south west was put on hold for 30 minutes by SouthWest24 after the man had doused himself in petrol? The second allegation was - . . . that the Sydney-based operator told the parent to go to her nearest psychiatric unit, which was two and a half hours away? The third allegation was - . . . that the mother was advised to get her local hospital to fax a report to the psychiatric unit but, as the call was made on a Saturday, the report could not be sent until the following Tuesday. However, the answer to the specific question asked is: McKesson Asia-Pacific commenced providing the SouthWest24 crisis call service in May 2003. McKesson Asia-Pacific estimated that providing this service from Perth at the rate of fewer than 15 calls a night, and using the then current call rates and service standards, would cost an additional $90 354 per annum than if the service were provided from its already-staffed Sydney office. If the activity exceeded 15 calls a night, and the then current call rates and service standards were maintained, the cost would have been an additional $219 041 per annum. McKesson Asia-Pacific stated that this additional cost was related to having to staff the Perth office overnight with experienced mental health personnel to manage the call centre. Since the service began, SouthWest24 has received an average of fewer than 10 calls a night between 10.00 pm and 8.00 am.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The minister advises that he is very surprised that the member would raise any issue relating to the SouthWest24 crisis call service after her false and scandalous allegations under parliamentary privilege, which the member subsequently admitted she could not substantiate. The specific allegations made in Parliament on Tuesday, 2 May 2006, were, firstly - . . . that the mother of a suicidal man living in the south west was put on hold for 30 minutes by SouthWest24 after the man had doused himself in petrol? The second allegation was - . . . that the Sydney-based operator told the parent to go to her nearest psychiatric unit, which was two and a half hours away? The third allegation was - . . . that the mother was advised to get her local hospital to fax a report to the psychiatric unit but, as the call was made on a Saturday, the report could not be sent until the following Tuesday. However, the answer to the specific question asked is: McKesson Asia-Pacific commenced providing the SouthWest24 crisis call service in May 2003. McKesson Asia-Pacific estimated that providing this service from Perth at the rate of fewer than 15 calls a night, and using the then current call rates and service standards, would cost an additional $90 354 per annum than if the service were provided from its already-staffed Sydney office. If the activity exceeded 15 calls a night, and the then current call rates and service standards were maintained, the cost would have been an additional $219 041 per annum. McKesson Asia-Pacific stated that this additional cost was related to having to staff the Perth office overnight with experienced mental health personnel to manage the call centre. Since the service began, SouthWest24 has received an average of fewer than 10 calls a night between 10.00 pm and 8.00 am.
The minister advises that he is very surprised that the member would raise any issue relating to the SouthWest24 crisis call service after her false and scandalous allegations under parliamentary privilege, which the member subsequently admitted she could not substantiate. The specific allegations made in Parliament on Tuesday, 2 May 2006, were, firstly - . . . that the mother of a suicidal man living in the south west was put on hold for 30 minutes by SouthWest24 after the man had doused himself in petrol? The second allegation was - . . . that the Sydney-based operator told the parent to go to her nearest psychiatric unit, which was two and a half hours away? The third allegation was - . . . that the mother was advised to get her local hospital to fax a report to the psychiatric unit but, as the call was made on a Saturday, the report could not be sent until the following Tuesday. However, the answer to the specific question asked is: McKesson Asia-Pacific commenced providing the SouthWest24 crisis call service in May 2003. McKesson Asia-Pacific estimated that providing this service from Perth at the rate of fewer than 15 calls a night, and using the then current call rates and service standards, would cost an additional $90 354 per annum than if the service were provided from its already-staffed Sydney office. If the activity exceeded 15 calls a night, and the then current call rates and service standards were maintained, the cost would have been an additional $219 041 per annum. McKesson Asia-Pacific stated that this additional cost was related to having to staff the Perth office overnight with experienced mental health personnel to manage the call centre. Since the service began, SouthWest24 has received an average of fewer than 10 calls a night between 10.00 pm and 8.00 am.
Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The minister advises that he is very surprised that the member would raise any issue relating to the SouthWest24 crisis call service after her false and scandalous allegations under parliamentary privilege, which the member subsequently admitted she could not substantiate. The specific allegations made in Parliament on Tuesday, 2 May 2006, were, firstly - . . . that the mother of a suicidal man living in the south west was put on hold for 30 minutes by SouthWest24 after the man had doused himself in petrol? The second allegation was - . . . that the Sydney-based operator told the parent to go to her nearest psychiatric unit, which was two and a half hours away? The third allegation was - . . . that the mother was advised to get her local hospital to fax a report to the psychiatric unit but, as the call was made on a Saturday, the report could not be sent until the following Tuesday. However, the answer to the specific question asked is: McKesson Asia-Pacific commenced providing the SouthWest24 crisis call service in May 2003. McKesson Asia-Pacific estimated that providing this service from Perth at the rate of fewer than 15 calls a night, and using the then current call rates and service standards, would cost an additional $90 354 per annum than if the service were provided from its already-staffed Sydney office. If the activity exceeded 15 calls a night, and the then current call rates and service standards were maintained, the cost would have been an additional $219 041 per annum. McKesson Asia-Pacific stated that this additional cost was related to having to staff the Perth office overnight with experienced mental health personnel to manage the call centre. Since the service began, SouthWest24 has received an average of fewer than 10 calls a night between 10.00 pm and 8.00 am.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The minister advises that he is very surprised that the member would raise any issue relating to the SouthWest24 crisis call service after her false and scandalous allegations under parliamentary privilege, which the member subsequently admitted she could not substantiate. The specific allegations made in Parliament on Tuesday, 2 May 2006, were, firstly - . . . that the mother of a suicidal man living in the south west was put on hold for 30 minutes by SouthWest24 after the man had doused himself in petrol? The second allegation was - . . . that the Sydney-based operator told the parent to go to her nearest psychiatric unit, which was two and a half hours away? The third allegation was - . . . that the mother was advised to get her local hospital to fax a report to the psychiatric unit but, as the call was made on a Saturday, the report could not be sent until the following Tuesday. However, the answer to the specific question asked is: McKesson Asia-Pacific commenced providing the SouthWest24 crisis call service in May 2003. McKesson Asia-Pacific estimated that providing this service from Perth at the rate of fewer than 15 calls a night, and using the then current call rates and service standards, would cost an additional $90 354 per annum than if the service were provided from its already-staffed Sydney office. If the activity exceeded 15 calls a night, and the then current call rates and service standards were maintained, the cost would have been an additional $219 041 per annum. McKesson Asia-Pacific stated that this additional cost was related to having to staff the Perth office overnight with experienced mental health personnel to manage the call centre. Since the service began, SouthWest24 has received an average of fewer than 10 calls a night between 10.00 pm and 8.00 am.
The minister advises that he is very surprised that the member would raise any issue relating to the SouthWest24 crisis call service after her false and scandalous allegations under parliamentary privilege, which the member subsequently admitted she could not substantiate. The specific allegations made in Parliament on Tuesday, 2 May 2006, were, firstly - . . . that the mother of a suicidal man living in the south west was put on hold for 30 minutes by SouthWest24 after the man had doused himself in petrol? The second allegation was - . . . that the Sydney-based operator told the parent to go to her nearest psychiatric unit, which was two and a half hours away? The third allegation was - . . . that the mother was advised to get her local hospital to fax a report to the psychiatric unit but, as the call was made on a Saturday, the report could not be sent until the following Tuesday. However, the answer to the specific question asked is: McKesson Asia-Pacific commenced providing the SouthWest24 crisis call service in May 2003. McKesson Asia-Pacific estimated that providing this service from Perth at the rate of fewer than 15 calls a night, and using the then current call rates and service standards, would cost an additional $90 354 per annum than if the service were provided from its already-staffed Sydney office. If the activity exceeded 15 calls a night, and the then current call rates and service standards were maintained, the cost would have been an additional $219 041 per annum. McKesson Asia-Pacific stated that this additional cost was related to having to staff the Perth office overnight with experienced mental health personnel to manage the call centre. Since the service began, SouthWest24 has received an average of fewer than 10 calls a night between 10.00 pm and 8.00 am.
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