Waiting Time for Appointments for Mental Health Treatment at Public Healthcare Institutions

NOTICE PAPER NO. 2008
NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR WRITTEN ANSWER
FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 5 JULY 2023

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mr Yip Hon Weng
MP for Yio Chu Kang

Question No. 3115

To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the average waiting time for initial and follow-up appointments for mental health treatment at public healthcare institutions; and (b) can more accessible and affordable options be provided to mental healthcare patients who are seeking private treatment due to long waiting times in the public healthcare system.

Answer

1     The median waiting time for a new subsidised appointment was 45 days to see a psychiatrist and 42 days to see a psychologist.  The interval for follow-up appointments varies from patient to patient and is based on the healthcare professional’s assessment of the patient’s needs. 

2     Public hospitals employ a triage system to ensure that patients are seen in a timely manner based on the urgency of their condition. Patients whose conditions are more severe or who require more urgent assistance are given earlier appointments. Persons in need of urgent mental health care can also access various mental health counselling helplines operated by social services agencies, support groups, and hospitals, or seek medical help at the 24-hour Emergency Services located at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). In addition, IMH has crisis teams that provides on-site crisis interventions to persons with a known or suspected mental health condition who are at risk of harm to self or others. 

3     Patients with mental health conditions can also receive care from primary care doctors in the community. As at end 2022, there were over 410 trained General Practitioners (GPs) that provide mental health services. Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS), Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation cardholders are eligible for additional subsidies of up to $540 annually for the management of mental illnesses under the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP), which include major depression, anxiety disorders (including obsessive compulsive disorder), bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, at CHAS GP clinics which provide mental health services.