The Mental Health Commission wants an Emergency Calling Code aimed at ensuring the reliability of the 111 emergency call services to be regulated.
Communications and Information Technology Minister Steven Joyce says the voluntary code, providing minimum standards, has been developed by the Telecommunications Carriers' Forum with input from the Government.
Mr Joyce has urged companies to sign up to the code, says he will look at regulation if necessary, though an industry-led voluntary agreement is preferable.
Mental Health Commission chairman Dr Peter McGeorge says regulation is needed because it is crucial that people with medical and psychiatric emergencies are able to get through to the 111 system.
The country's largest owner of rest homes and hospitals, BUPA Care Services, believes voluntary regulation would be more effective.
Telecom to sign up
Telecom endorses the minister's approach and plans to sign the code within the next few weeks.
Head of media communications Mark Watts says while there are no financial penalties if the code is not complied with, there will be public censure.
He says Telecom prefers an industry-led voluntary approach rather than waiting for regulation to solve the problems.
"If signatories aren't doing what they're signed up to, there's very clear processes for public censure, and that matters to companies such as Telecom and we know that more than most given some of the ups and downs we've had in recent weeks."
Mr Watts says Telecom will be very committed to supporting the code.
Last month a Telecom fault resulted in one third of 111 calls failing in Auckland one morning.
First step - Minister
Communications and Information Technology Minister Steven Joyce says the code is the first step in a series of steps to ensure the reliability of emergency call services.
He says he also wants mobile network operators to establish a protocol for emergency callers to be able to switch networks if their own network fails.
Mr Joyce says the code provides a good starting point for ensuring the effective delivery of emergency calls by providing minimum standards.
Telecommunications Carrier's Forum chief executive David Stone says there will be a lot of pressure on companies to sign up to it, as not signing could put off customers.
