GOVERNMENT RESTRUCTURED HOSPITALS (Waiting time of patients)

Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for Health what measures are being taken to reduce the waiting time of patients seeking treatment at Government restructured hospitals.

The Minister for Health (Mr Yeo Cheow Tong): Sir, the waiting time at the Specialist Outpatient Clinics (SOC) in Government and restructured hospitals has improved from a median of 32 minutes in 1990 to 28 minutes in 1992. The proportion of patients who waited less than 60 minutes has improved from 78% in 1990 to 84% in 1992. These improvements in waiting time were achieved despite a 22% increase in the total number of SOC attendances, from 1.35 million in 1990 to 1.65 million in 1992.

All the hospitals have upgraded their appointment scheduling systems by computerising them. However, they still face problems with about 20% to 30% of patients who fail to keep their appointments. The hospitals have been regularly advising patients to inform the hospital if they cannot keep their appointments.

To overcome the high defaulter rate, a certain amount of overbooking of appointments is done. As it is not possible to predict the exact number of defaulters for a particular session, sometimes patients will have to wait longer if the number of patients turning up is more than anticipated. The hospitals are monitoring the situation closely and are fine-tuning the appointment system.

The hospitals also face the problem of patients turning up at the SOC without appointments. Patients who do so, but who cannot be turned away for medical reasons, are attended to at the end of the clinical session. They therefore wait longer.

Another factor that contributes to longer waiting times is that certain specialists like cardiologists and obstetricians, by the nature of their work, are more likely to be called away to attend to emergencies. The hospitals normally arrange for alternative doctors when this happens. However, the hospitals find that the patients often --- 1.30 pm

Mr Speaker: Order. It is 1.30 pm. End of Question time.

[Pursuant to Standing Order No. 21(3), Questions Nos. 16-21, 23, 26-28 and 30 have been postponed to the next available sitting of Parliament. Written answers to Questions Nos. 14, 15, 22 and 29 on the Order Paper are reproduced in the section, 'Oral Answers to Questions Not Reached' (Cols. 377 - 382).]