If there is an infectious disease outbreak, general outpatient clinic services to walk-in patients may be limited to the follow-up of patients with chronic diseases, Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Dr York Chow says.

In a written reply to the legislators, Dr Chow said, as part of a contingency plan, there may be a need to designate some general outpatient clinics as medical centres in each district, which will then affect general outpatient clinic services.

In addition, the Government will work closely with the private medical sector to ensure sufficient capacity for treating patients in the event of an infectious disease outbreak, he added.

Since the transfer of general outpatient clinics from the Department of Health to the Hospital Authority in July 2003, Dr Chow said improvements have been introduced to the outpatient service.

The most notable ones are the introduction of individual patient records and family medicine training and service.

He said the introduction of individual patients' records enables a comprehensive record of a patient's health status and problems and the doctor's diagnoses and treatments prescribed to be maintained and retrieved for reference in subsequent consultations.

The input of accurate data by doctors and nurses requires extra time for each consultation. The introduction of family medicine, which emphasises continuing, comprehensive and holistic care for the patient, also results in longer consultation times.

Caseload reduced to spend more time with patients

Despite the injection of 42% more doctors, 21% more nurses, 27% more pharmacy staff, and 6% more supporting staff, the number of patients that can be seen has had to be reduced in some clinics.

Each doctor is now seeing a maximum of 85 patients during the day sessions (four hours a session and two sessions in a day) and 50 patients during the evening session (four hours).

However, Dr Chow stressed that the reduction in the number of patients seen does not mean the service has deteriorated.

On the contrary, the measures have brought about better understanding of the patients' problems and better documentation of patients' clinical information, he said.

As a result, patients will not only enjoy quality treatment upfront but will also need fewer subsequent consultations, he added.