Monitoring Waiting Times for Psychiatric Specialist Appointments and Expanding Community-based Specialist Capacity

Mr Gabriel Lam asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) how does the Ministry monitor waiting times for first specialist appointments at public psychiatric services; (b) what service standards exist for urgent but non-emergency referrals; and (c) whether community-based specialist capacity will be expanded to reduce reliance on hospital emergency departments.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) monitors the wait times for new psychiatry appointments at public hospitals' specialist outpatient clinics by the duration from the date of request for the appointment to the given appointment date. All acute hospitals triage patients according to the acuity of their clinical needs to ensure urgent cases are prioritised.

Under the National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy, MOH is expanding community mental health services to improve access and anchor care in the community where appropriate.