By Salma Khalik, The Straits Times, 28 Jan 2014
FACED with a busy accident and emergency department (A&E) that sees more than 400 patients a day, Changi General Hospital (CGH) has come up with a novel way to try to reduce the crowd.
Between a third and half of the patients who show up at the emergency department every day can be easily treated by a GP, said Mr T.K. Udairam, head of the Eastern Health Alliance to which CGH belongs.
The offer of a $50 discount off the $100 A&E bill is to remove "a perceived disincentive" - some patients do not go to a GP first as they think they would end up paying both the GP and the hospital and hence pay more, he noted.
But this may not be the case. As most of them do not need hospital care, seeing a GP first will likely save them money, noted Mr Udairam. Most GPs charge $30 to $50 in the day, which is when most A&E patients show up. And in the event patients have to go to both the GP and the hospital, the $50 discount should cover the GP's charges.
But this may not be the case. As most of them do not need hospital care, seeing a GP first will likely save them money, noted Mr Udairam. Most GPs charge $30 to $50 in the day, which is when most A&E patients show up. And in the event patients have to go to both the GP and the hospital, the $50 discount should cover the GP's charges.
Currently, about 20 patients are diverted from the hospital to a clinic a day. They can save themselves a trip to the hospital and a long wait by going to a GP near their home first, he said.
"This will leave the medical staff more time to spend with patients who are more critically ill," said Mr Udairam at the launch of the GPFirst scheme yesterday. So far, 132 out of more than 200 GP clinics in eastern Singapore, in places like Tampines or Pasir Ris, are taking part.
Those referred to CGH by a participating GP will be given priority, said its chief executive officer, Dr Lee Chien Earn, as they have already been assessed by a qualified doctor to require emergency department care.
Dr Muhammad Iqmal Abdullah, whose clinic at Bedok Central sees a fair number of factory workers, said companies often send workers straight to CGH following an industrial accident."When it comes to small cuts, a GP can deal with it easily. We don't even need to suture it anymore; we just use glue."
CGH's offer is also to pre-empt a flood of patients during the Chinese New Year holidays. Clinics like Dr Muhammad's are open during the festive period. Patients turned up at his clinic last year after a six-hour wait at CGH, he said. Many were there for vomiting, an allergic reaction to something they ate and other ailments that can be easily treated by a GP, he said. For serious conditions like a suspected heart attack or stroke, he would give medicine immediately to ease the problem and call for an ambulance. "There will be no delay to their initial treatment."
CGH's Dr Lee stressed, though, that if it is a suspected heart attack or stroke, or other critical illnesses, patients should head straight for the hospital.
A list of GPs on the scheme, as well as conditions for which it is better to consult a GP, can be found at www.gpfirst.sg
GPs have also been given a 24-hour hotline number to call if they need to speak to an emergency specialist.
The Ministry of Health yesterday also issued a list of some 100 clinics which will remain open during the Chinese New Year period. More information is available at http://www.moh.gov.sg/cny2014