XN000022-1996-04-03 — Page 99

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Measures to shorten patients' waiting time

Following is a question by the Hon Ip Kwok-him and a written reply by the Secretary for Health and Welfare, Mrs Katherine Fok, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

According to a survey conducted by an organisation, over 40% of the elderly patients of the general out-patient department of public hospitals have to wait four hours for medical consultation and dispensation of drugs, and the waiting time for medical appointments in specialist clinics is as long as four months. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether:

Reply:

(a)

(b)

(a)

it is aware of the situation described above; if so, what measures are in place to shorten the waiting time: and

consideration will be given to extending the practice of providing "chips for the elderly" and the arrangement for the elderly to seek consultation by appointment, which are only available at the out-patient department of some public hospitals, to all public hospitals in the territory; if not, why not?

The general out-patient clinic (GOPC) services operated by the Department of Health (DH) have adopted the following measures have to minimise waiting time of patients, including elderly patients, after obtaining consultation discs:

(i)

Block appointment system

Same-day appointments are given to patients with episodic illnesses and their appointment times are printed on the back of the consultation discs. Patients are then free to leave and need only return to the clinics at the given appointment time. It is the pledge of DH for these patients to be seen within 60 minutes of the appointed time. In 1995, DH has fully achieved this performance pledge.