Fragile 111 system poses fundamental risk - but replacement delayed again

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Replacement of the increasingly fragile 111 emergency call system has been delayed again - despite reports saying the issues pose a fundamental risk to the public.

Replacement of the increasingly fragile 111 emergency call system has been delayed again - despite reports saying the issues pose a fundamental risk to the public.

Deaths and injuries related to system constraints or failures have been detailed in police reports for several years, even as police have battled to replace it.

"The 111-emergency call system is growing increasingly fragile," said one report this year.

"The fragility and governance around the 111 platform presents a fundamental risk to emergency response."

A newly-released briefing from a year ago to Police Minister Mark Mitchell said the system was vulnerable in seven key ways.

"These vulnerabilities create risks for public safety and first responder safety."

Replacement options were due to Mitchell by July this year, but have been pushed back to February.

The initial call-taking is not done by emergency responders, but by telecommunications giant Spark. This can cause delays when people get repeatedly asked for details and Spark is backing the move for change.

The current system was hugely limited by 1990s technology built on a 1950s model, such as only being able to take voice calls, not texts.

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