ENG-2013 — Page 185

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Health

2010-11, of which spending on public specialist outpatient and inpatient services accounted for 76 per cent.

In 2012-13, about $8.7 billion was spent on secondary and tertiary ambulatory medical services provided by the HA's specialist clinics. The HA has specialist clinics for a wide range of specialties, including internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, orthopaedics and traumatology, ear, nose and throat, ophthalmology, psychiatry, neurosurgery, oncology and cardio-thoracic surgery.

In 2013, members of the public made over seven million visits to the HA's specialist outpatient clinics. Appointments for new patients are made on the basis of the severity of their clinical condition in order to ensure that patients with acute conditions will be given priority in accessing the required services. Patients in stable condition are referred to primary care. practitioners in the private sector or the HA's general outpatient clinics for follow-up.

Allied Health Service

Allied health professionals working under the HA include audiologists, clinical psychologists, dietitians, occupational therapists, optometrists, orthoptists, physiotherapists, podiatrists, prosthetists and orthotists, speech therapists and medical social workers. They provide rehabilitative and extended care for patients receiving inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory and community care services to help them reintegrate into society. In 2013, members of the public made about 2.32 million visits to the HA's allied health outpatient departments.

Inpatient Services

In 2012-13, $28.6 billion was spent on providing inpatient services by HA hospitals. A total of 1.55 million inpatients and day-patients were discharged from public hospitals in 2013.

Accident and Emergency Services

Accident and emergency services are provided at 17 HA hospitals, delivering a high standard of service for critically ill or injured persons who need urgent medical attention and providing medical support for victims of disasters. In 2012-13, $2.1 billion was spent on these services. In 2013, 1.28 million people paid 2.23 million visits to the accident and emergency departments of public hospitals, an average of 6,102 attendances per day.

Patients attending the accident and emergency departments of public hospitals are classified under five categories according to their clinical condition: critical cases are classified under Category 1, emergency cases under Category 2, urgent cases under Category 3, semi-urgent cases under Category 4, and non-urgent cases under Category 5. The triage system ensures that patients with more urgent needs receive prompt attention. In 2013, all Category 1 patients received immediate treatment while over 95 per cent of Category 2 patients were treated within 15 minutes.

Medical Charges and Waiver

Fees for public hospital and clinic services for the general public are subsidised up to 96.6 per cent by the government, with people receiving assistance under the Comprehensive Social

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