Timeline and Plan for Launching of GPFirst Scheme Nationally

Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for Health what is the timeline and plan for the launching of the GPFirst Scheme nationally and what is the projected annual cost of the scheme to the Government and the average benefit to be gained by beneficiaries after the cost of consulting a GP is factored in.

The GPFirst programme is a pilot scheme first introduced at Changi General Hospital (CGH) in January 2014. GPFirst aims to encourage patients with non-emergency conditions to seek treatment at General Practitioners (GPs) rather than at the Emergency Department (ED). Patients assessed by the participating GPs as requiring ED care are referred to the ED with minimal delay. In recognition that the patient has incurred initial charges at the GP, a $50 subsidy is provided to offset the patient’s ED bill.

In 2016, about $1 million was invested in the GPFirst programme at CGH which would include the ED subsidy, expenses on GP engagement initiatives and publicity to raise the awareness of the programme. The programme not only helps to reduce non-emergency cases seen in CGH’s ED, thereby saving unnecessary ED expenses by the hospital and the patients. More importantly, it also enables the ED to focus on attending to patients with critical conditions in a timelier manner. Patients with non-emergency conditions will also benefit from more timely access to care at the GPs and cost savings as the GP charge would typically be less than $50, as compared to $120 if he visits the CGH ED.

From CGH's pilot, the Ministry of Health has concluded that the benefits justify the cost of running the GPFirst scheme. The scheme will be extended to more public hospitals in 2018. This will entail establishing close partnerships with GPs, promoting awareness among residents and learning from CGH's pilot.