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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The Hospital Authority (HA) will further enhance the transparency of specialist clinic waiting time by extending the public reporting of waiting times on its website to ophthalmology services starting from today (October 31).
"The posting and regular updating of waiting times on the HA website for selected specialist out-patient services and surgical operations started in April this year to help patients understand the waiting time situation in public hospitals, so as to assist them in their consideration of treatment plans and choices," the HA spokesman said.
The spokesman added that following the smooth implementation of a centrally co-ordinated cross-cluster referral arrangement in the specialties of ear, nose and throat (ENT) and gynaecology, the same arrangement has also started this month between New Territories East Cluster (NTEC) and Hong Kong West Cluster for the routine category of ophthalmology patients without imminent need for first consultation.
"There is currently a large disparity in waiting times between the two clusters. The ageing and growing population bringing 16,000 new cases to NTEC each year, coupled with the departure of some senior doctors in recent years, has led to a backlog of new cases with the longest wait being over three years.
"Alongside the cross-cluster referral arrangement, the NTEC has recruited new doctors and will add more consultation rooms to help shorten the waiting time for the less urgent cases, while maintaining urgent and semi-urgent cases to be seen within the target median waiting times of within two weeks and eight weeks respectively," the spokesman said.
Waiting time information is posted on the HA Homepage under the "Specialist Outpatient Clinics" and "Elective Surgery" sections of the "Service Guides". The waiting time information will be updated on a quarterly basis.
Waiting time information reporting, now covering the specialist out-patient clinics of ENT, gynaecology and ophthalmology, as well as cataract surgery, will be extended progressively to other specialties and procedures upon alignment of waiting time capturing and reporting logistics in different hospitals and specialties.
Ends/Thursday, October 31, 2013
Issued at HKT 12:12
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