Target Waiting Time for Initial Appointments to See Psychiatrists and Psychologists at Public Health Institutions

Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Health (a) whether there is a target median and average waiting time for initial appointments to see psychiatrists and psychologists at public health institutions; and (b) if so, what is this target.

Public hospitals employ a triage system to ascertain the urgency of the conditions of patients and then attend to them in a timely manner depending on the circumstances. That is the nature of hospital operations. Hence, it is not practical to set concrete targets on waiting times, because waiting times depend on conditions and circumstances.

Notwithstanding the above, based on 2022 figures, 95% of subsidised patients were given an initial psychiatrist appointment within three months.