HIGHER CHARGES FOR REFERRALS FROM GENERAL PRACTITIONERS

Mr Heng Chiang Meng asked the Minister for Health what are the reasons for the initial consultation fee of $35 charged for patients referred by general practitioners, whereas the same patient, had he been referred by an outpatient clinic, will only be charged $12 in the Singapore General Hospital and $10 in other hospitals.

Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau: Mr Speaker, Sir, it is the standard practice to charge an initial consultation fee for all patients referred by general practitioners to the Specialist Outpatient Clinics (SOCs) in all Government hospitals. The consultation fee of $35 has been in existence since 1969.

Referrals between doctors within the Government medical services, including referrals of outpatients by outpatient dispensaries and polyclinics to hospital Specialist Clinics are exempted from paying the initial consultation fee. This is because the referred patients would have been examined and screened by Government doctors before they are referred to other consultants.

It is not possible to exempt payment of the initial consultation fee for patients referred by general practitioners, as it would mean subsidizing private patients and would lead to an overload of the service. However, patients referred by Government outpatient dispensaries and other Government doctors who ask for a particular specialist by name are required to pay the same consultation fee as referrals by general practitioners.

The fee of $12 in the Singapore General Hospital and $10 in the other hospitals is a repeat attendance fee which is applicable to all patients irrespective of whether they are referred by private practitioners or by Government doctors.