PlunketLine article 'misleading'.

The article "NZNO backs Plunket's campaign to restore PlunketLine" (Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand, May 2006, p9) presents some misleading information. Despite claims to the contrary, PlunketLine has not achieved, nor is it on track to achieve, 76,000 answered calls a year. Plunket answered 54,206 calls to PlunketLine in the year to April 30, 2006--65,716 if net transfers from Healthline are included. PlunketLine is not on track to reach or exceed the target of 140,000 over the current two-year contract (or up to 70,000 calls per annum on average). PlunketLine's unanswered call rate has also attracted comment. One of the criteria in the Request for Tenders for the Welt Child Telephone Advice Service was the "expertise of the organisation in the provision of call centre and telephone advisory services". PlunketLine's unanswered or abandoned call rate was relevant to this criterion, but was only one of a number of factors considered.

Over the contract term to April 2006, less than 20 percent of calls made to PlunketLine were answered. Plunket's resistance to transfer calls about sick or symptomatic children to HealthLine, and a phone message that cut in after five seconds advising waiting callers to hang up and call back later, contributed to the high unanswered call rate. Since December 2005, PlunketLine has begun to address its high unanswered call rate.

A professional well child telephone advice service will continue after June 30 2006, operated by McKesson New Zealand limited, which provided the most comprehensive tender proposal. Plunket receives $34 million per annum to provide well child services in the community. The Ministry has a high level of confidence in Plunket as a provider of these services.

Julie Rogers, Group Manager Funding DHB Funding and Performance