Red Cross Telecross REDi Service

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (14:55): My question is to the Minister for Human Services about the Red Cross Telecross REDi service. Can the minister please inform the chamber about this potentially life-saving service?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:55): I thank the honourable member very much for his question. It was activated, of course, last Wednesday 20 November when we had exceptionally hot weather. It was my great pleasure, along with the Premier, to attend the call centre run by Red Cross. They have a service that is available for people who are frail or aged, people with disabilities, or anybody who needs a call on a daily basis. Several hundred people are registered.

There is, in addition, the REDi service, which the honourable member referred to. This is activated on days of extreme heat and dangerous weather. A number of volunteers will telephone people to ensure that they are okay. They make the phone call to the individual. If they don't get an answer, they try three times. If they don't get hold of the person, they then go to the emergency contact numbers. If they can't get hold of the emergency contact person, they will then escalate that and potentially call out an ambulance.

They will make this series of phone calls—probably three sets of phone calls—in a day. When they speak to the people, they check that they are okay, make sure that they are hydrated and that they're feeling alright. We've been encouraging people to register for that service, either for themselves or for people that they are aware of who may need this assistance. There are about 700 people registered for this service at the moment. There are something like 15 volunteers who are active at any one time making those calls.

We are aware, through having spoken to people who are users of this service, that there have been people whose lives have more than likely been saved, as the ambulance has been called out and the person has not been in a very good state. So, it is an invaluable service. We thank the Red Cross for its leadership in this area and for the many dedicated volunteers who have been involved, and encourage anyone who knows of anyone who may benefit from this service to register so that it can be used in the future.