Improving Public Hospitals' Care Delivery Through Appointment Consolidation and Senior-friendly Waiting Spaces

Ms Valerie Lee asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health what efforts are being made across public hospitals to provide more senior-friendly care practices through (i) coordinating and consolidating appointment dates for seniors who have multiple specialist follow-ups, so as to reduce repeated hospital visits and (ii) providing senior-friendly spaces where patients can rest and access refreshments while waiting between appointments.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: Public healthcare institutions (PHIs) coordinate specialist outpatient appointments across specialties, consolidate investigations to be done on the same day and offer teleconsultations to reduce repeat visits, where clinically appropriate. PHIs are also progressively transforming care by having more patients receive care from multidisciplinary teams led by principal doctors who will coordinate and integrate care according to the patient's needs.

However, consolidating appointments is not always clinically or operationally feasible. Some consultations, investigations and procedures may need to take place separately because of clinical requirements, preparation needs or specialist availability. Patients may also prefer having shorter visits over a few days instead of one long visit on a single day for all their appointments.

PHIs do provide waiting and seating areas with access to refreshments through amenities, such as cafeterias, food courts or vending machines. Most hospitals also have outdoor gardens or open spaces, where patients can rest between appointments.