Respiratory Network Special Projects

A free-call 1800 number has been purchased by the Respiratory Network for the following purposes:

1. To make respiratory-specific rapid advice line infrastructure available to existing respiratory services / clinical teams across NSW. The infrastructure would be available to new / developing clinical teams upon request.
2. To provide, where local service capacity exists, a direct line for selected respiratory patients (ie those identified / specified by their usual physicians / clinicians) to access their local respiratory service / clinical team via a single, free-call phone number.

   Note: This initiative is not a triage service, nor will it be accompanied by additional personnel.

3. To facilitate clinical telephone intervention prior to the instigation of a 000 call*, thereby:

(a)     Reducing, where appropriate, the number of respiratory presentations to emergency departments.
(b)     Facilitating organised presentations to emergency departments / planned admissions to hospital.
* The purpose of this infrastructure is not to replace 000 emergency calls.

The technology used to deliver this infrastructure employs Telstra's established 'Inbound Services - Postcode Manager' application which allows the owner (the GMCT Respiratory Network), in conjunction with existing local respiratory services, to define multiple unique 'answer points' (ie local respiratory clinicians / clinical teams) for calls originating within postcode boundaries, as determined by those local respiratory services. A 'Silver Service' function allows the identification of up to 1000 patients living outside defined Area Health Service boundaries for specific re-routing to up to 20 answering points / local respiratory services.

The nature of the answer points and service boundaries are entirely at the discretion of the participating local respiratory service.

At its June meeting the Network's Steering Committee agreed that services using the 1800 infrastructure should be broadly homogenous, and should therefore meet certain criteria. A small working party will be convened to develop a list of criteria and promote the concept.

The infrastructure is now available for use by individual respiratory services, subject to agreement by local facility / Area administrators to pay call costs. The GMCT Respiratory Network will fund on-going phone service fees and charges.

Please contact the Network Manager for further information or to express interest in the possibility of installing free-call 1800 infrastructure for your local respiratory service.