Supplementary Information on Waiting Time

Prioritization of services according to the patients’ condition is necessary as the demand from our aging population exceeds the health care services that the public system can supply.

• Patient can choose to receive the treatment at the private sector where they can have more choices.
• Patient can discuss with their attending surgeon to see whether they are suitable for referring to another HA hospital with shorter waiting time. If they are found suitable, referral letters will be issued. Patients are required to book for the specialist out-patient service and attend the consultation before they are being put on the waiting list for elective surgery in the short-wait cluster. Therefore, patients should consider the waiting time for specialist out-patient service, the travels incurred for the consequential follow-ups, the continuity of community support etc. when they choose to have elective surgery in the short-wait cluster
• Patient may choose to join some Special Public Private Partnership Programme, if invited, like the Cataract Surgery Program to receive treatment in the private sector with a subsidy.

Please visit: Public Private Partnership Programme for details.