Patient's long wait for appointment: SGH replies

Patient's long wait for appointment: SGH replies

We are sorry Ms Tay Soh Hoon and her husband had to experience anxiety over the long waiting time for an appointment to see our renal medicine specialist ("One-year wait to see specialist"; Monday).

The Singapore General Hospital sees the highest proportion of renal patients, with more than 34,000 outpatient attendances annually.

Appointments for new patients are prioritised based on the severity and urgency of their medical conditions. For those whose conditions are stable, the average waiting time for an appointment can be longer if there is an increase in new or urgent referrals.

To meet the needs of a growing number of renal patients and the training of doctors, we have been working to increase the number of slots for appointments, and will continue to do so as new clinic facilities are built.

We thank our patients and their caregivers for their patience and understanding of the current situation, as we seek innovative solutions to improve the overall patient experience.

Chan Choong Meng (Associate Professor)

Head, Department of Renal Medicine

Singapore General Hospital



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