PUBLIC HOSPITAL APPOINTMENT SYSTEM NEEDS TO CHANGE OR S'POREANS WILL DIE BEFORE THEY SEE DOCTORS

It is very upsetting that everytime you wish to make an appointment to see a doctor in specialist clinic, the timing was not according to your availability.

i understand every doctor schedule is jam packed but if they were to make their appointment system more flexible, beneficial for doctors and patients, that will more better. Especially to SUBSIDISE patient.

My husband was sent to TTSH A&E due to some acid reflux causing him to have chest pain, we took the nearest A&E despite the fact his past records as well as surgeries was done in NUH. So we request to have the referral doctor appointment done in NUH easier for past records.

So as usual we booked appointment and they give me like really end of august appointment. I do not understand the way the PSAs booked appointment, they dont based on the seriousness of the condition and they dont really see from where the referral is. (if it is from A&E definitely patient is more serious and need attention / consultation asap. I do understand July will be too demanding to slot my husband in so i requested for early august.

But the PSA;s appointment staff was not helpful enough to check and just told me off by replying All First visits referral sent to our end would end be scan through or vetted by our team of Gastro Drs to determine the urgency of each individual case and the given date as stated below is after our Drs vetting.

I understand the vetting part but i told them my husband has been vomitting and is in pain BUT we feel theres no point to go back A&E again and waste time and money when we can see the specialist straight.

And while knowing i urgently asking for their reply, they did not update me and they change the appointment without informing to next week. Suddenly they got an earlier slot, i mean if i do not insist then they pretend they have no earlier slot, and they will definitely say or they make some changes to accommodate. I mean if patient never raise any issue you are going to pretend nothing serious and suka suka delay is it? So why 26 July 2016 NUH UDC have slot why not 5th August?

Already so hassle and expect your patient to change their schedule and leave affecting their work performance just because NUH has no flexibility?

They should change the whole system to cater to those who are seriously sick and urgently need to seek treatment.
They appointment slot should be more flexible and must have a few extra slot for urgent cases. I know that they feel that the doctor cannot see more patient in a day but the fact is the nurses do not wish for extra work with extra urgent cases. Its all about the staff but not the patient welfare.

Even you give feedback to the PRD, there is nothing that was done to help come with better solution for both side.

I do not wish to be so fussy, i usually will try my best to follow the appointment schedule or cancel it if i cannot make it, but this time i just need some flexibility to our timing instead. And because we are subsidise and cannot choose doctor, you should have many doctors in a department to attend to us. Just because we are not private (due to referral from A&E) we cannot get a good service from NUH?

SO i have to sacrifice on my end for a poor service? Not to mention if SUBsidise patient they will treat you lightly and expect you to keep on coming back for consult so they earn more.

Very upset!
A.S.S. Contributor