Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ18: Follow-up consultations for patients at specialist outpatient clinics

        Following is a question by the Hon Emily Lau and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, in the Legislative Council today (July 7):

 

Question:

 

        Regarding the waiting time for follow-up consultations for patients of specialist out-patient service at public hospitals, will the Executive Authorities inform this Council:

 

(a)    of the respective longest, shortest and average waiting times for follow-up consultations for patients of each specialty (such as cardiology, psychiatry and ophthalmology) at each public hospital in each of the past five years;

 

(b)    of the number of complaints received by the relevant authorities in the past three years about patients' delay in receiving treatment because of the unduly long waiting time for follow-up consultations, and the number of patients in those cases who died due to deterioration of their conditions; and

 

(c)    whether the relevant authorities have put in place measures to shorten patients' waiting time for follow-up consultations; if so, the details of such measures; if not, the reasons for that?

 

Reply:

 

(a)    There is no waiting time for follow-up consultations as such for patients at the specialist outpatient clinics (SOPC) of the Hospital Authority (HA).  The date of follow-up consultations is set in accordance with the clinician's assessment of the need of the patients on the basis of their clinical conditions.  For some acute conditions, the SOPC may request the patient to come back for a follow-up consultation as soon as the next day or a few days later.  There may also be situations where the clinical conditions of a patient do not indicate a need for a follow-up consultation at all.

 

(b)    As indicated in part (a) of the reply, the date of follow-up consultation is set in accordance with the clinician's assessment of the need of the patients on the basis of their clinical conditions.  As there is no waiting time for follow-up consultations, the HA does not have information on the number of complaints received for unduly long waiting time.  In the case where a patient experiences a deterioration of his conditions, the patient may attend the Accident and Emergency Department (A&ED) for necessary medical assistance.  The clinicians at the A&ED will assess the clinical conditions of the patients and determine whether the patient requires hospitalisation or an earlier follow-up consultation at a SOPC.  The patient may also approach the SOPC which he attended to seek to arrange an earlier date for the follow-up consultation.

       

(c)    The HA has taken a number of measures to improve both the efficiency and service quality of its SOPCs, which include -

 

(i)     managing patients with stable multiple chronic illnesses at integrated SOPCs or general outpatient clinics with Family Medicine practice to reduce the need for these patients to attend separate follow-up consultations with different specialties;

 

(ii)    reducing duplication of visits by patients who attend separate follow-up consultations in different SOPCs of the same specialty for different conditions; and

 

(iii)   strengthening the care provided by other health care professionals such as nurses through outreach services and pharmacists through explanation on drug usage and compliance.

 

Ends/Wednesday, July 7, 2004

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