Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ7: Specialist out-patient service

     Following is a question by the Hon Audrey Eu and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (October 20):

 

Question:

 

     As specialist out-patient service at public hospitals is available only within office hours on weekdays, will the Government inform this Council whether, on the premise of no change in resources and by redeploying doctors to work shift duty, it will consider extending such service to public holidays and evenings, in order to meet the needs of the working people; if it will not, of the reasons for that?

 

Reply:

 

     Extension of specialist out-patient (SOP) service of public hospitals into the evening and public holidays could not be made simply by redeploying doctors to work shift duties and would have significant resource implications. This is because almost all doctors working in SOP clinics are responsible for both inpatient and outpatient care. As most of the inpatient activities in public hospitals have to be conducted during daytime, the number of doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff on duty during daytime cannot be substantially reduced.  Extension of SOP service into the evening would mean either longer working hours for these groups of staff or a larger establishment.  Furthermore, the operation of an SOP clinic requires the support of other departments and facilities such as the laboratory, radiological department and pharmacy which also serve inpatients.  The Extension of SOP service into the evening and public holidays would therefore also require a larger establishment for the departments and associated facilities mentioned above, with a corresponding increase in administrative overheads.

 

     In view of the significant resource implication, the Hospital Authority (HA) does not have any plan in extending SOP service to evenings and public holidays at present.  However, the HA has already lengthened the consultation time for each SOP consultation session where possible to facilitate patients. The use of a computerised system for making appointments in advance has also made it easier for patients to select a suitable time for their consultation.

 

     As the average follow-up interval for patients in SOP clinics is around three to six months and necessary arrangements for attending the consultation can be made well in advance, we do not expect the existing clinic opening hours to pose any significant inconvenience to patients who work during normal working hours.

 

Ends/Wednesday, October 20, 2004

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