With new online technologies, Singapore General Hospital is providing greater convenience to patients visiting its Specialist Outpatient Clinics.

To reduce waiting time and queues at its clinics and pharmacies, Singapore General Hospital (SGH) has made changes to the process for appointments, consultations and medication collection at its Specialist Outpatient Clinics (SOCs).

Patients at selected clinics no longer have to wait to register for their appointments when they arrive for their consultations, or to pay and collect their medications after. Almost all prescriptions will be paperless by the end of 2022. Patients can easily keep track of what they have collected and the balance amount of medications via their mobile apps — SingHealth’s Health Buddy or the national HealthHub.

The aim is to enhance a patient’s journey to the SOC to be as contactless as possible to reduce the potential risk of infections.

For the less tech-savvy, SGH staff and Infocomm Media Development Authority officers will be onsite to help. The Patient Financial Services’ 24-hour self-service lobby at Block 4 is also available for bill payment and other online services.

Self-service kiosks for bill payment, similar to registration machines, will be set up around SGH in the coming months, to enable greater payment flexibility following feedback from patients.

Getting an SOC appointment

Appointments to SOCs are by referral from a general practitioner (GP), polyclinic or other public hospitals. This is to ensure patients are given appropriate care by the right specialist.

Before an SOC visit

• When a referral or appointment request is made, an SMS or Push Notification (PN) for Health Buddy users will be sent to confirm the appointment details. SMS or PN reminders will also be sent seven days and one day before the appointment.
• Patients must bring their identification documents such as Singapore NRIC or birth certificate and health booklet (for those under 15 years old), passport and employment papers for foreigners, Civil Service card for civil servants and their dependants, and other benefits cards or documents.
• For first consultations, patients should bring the polyclinic or GP referral letter, medication list, and x-ray and other investigation records taken less than six months ago, if any. If required, patients should also fast before coming for a test or scan.

On the SOC appointment day

• Arrive 10 minutes before appointment time.
• Register at the self-service station or pre-register online. For clinics that offer the mobile registration option, patients will receive an SMS or PN to pre-register on the Health Buddy app 90 minutes before the appointment time, as well as real-time updates of the queue situation via their devices.

After an SOC consultation

• Patients can leave the SOC immediately.
• They will receive their bills and details of their next appointment via SMS or PN after 8pm the following day.
• They can pay their bills online, or via the HealthHub or Health Buddy mobile apps.
• They can opt for delivery of their medications or choose to collect their medications at the SGH pharmacy.

Medication delivery

Instead of waiting at the SGH pharmacy, patients can opt to have their medications delivered on a preferred date, at least three working days after their SOC appointment. The service is free, but there is a fee for urgent or bulky item delivery, or re-delivery if no one is around to receive it.

Collection can also be made from PILBOX (Prescription In Locker Box) or selected bluPORT lockers. PILBOX is available at SingHealth’s Bedok, Marine Parade, Sengkang, Punggol and Tampines polyclinics. Medications can also be collected at selected Guardian Health and Beauty pharmacies at the patient’s preferred time, date and outlet. Patients using the medication collection and delivery services can pay via:

• online at https://eservices.healthhub.sg/public/payments/singhealth and the Health Buddy app
• AXS and SAM self-service machines, 7-Eleven shops, and Singapore Post Office branches
• Self-service kiosks around SGH in the near future.
  

Video consultations

Patients may be offered video consultations. This reduces the number of SOC visits to once or twice a year, with a couple of video consultations in between. Patients only need to visit the hospital to undergo periodic lab tests or radiological scans. To date, video consultation is available at 34 departments in SGH.

Ask BILLie

At SGH’s one-stop Patient Financial Services Portal (www.sgh.com.sg/PFS), patients can pay their bills, submit their MediSave Maternity Claim, find information on MediSave and insurance claims, and other money or bill-related tasks online.

Patients can also ‘Ask BILLie’, an interactive chatbot, for help with general bill enquiries and requests. For complex requests, SGH staff will respond within two working days.

Use HEALTH BUDDY or HEALTH HUB apps

• To check, change or cancel appointments
• To order medications
• To pay bills
• To find out the costs and subsidies of upcoming ward admission with the Admissions Buddy feature
• For health-related information
  

Call 6321 4377 during office hours

• To make, change or cancel an SOC appointment
  

Visit www.sgh.com.sg/patient-care/visiting-specialist for more information.

SOC information provided by Mr Zhuo Weichao, Manager, and Mr Yang Hui, Assistant Manager, Specialist Outpatient Clinics-Operations; Ms Nge Kar Noi, Senior Manager, Call Centre, Singapore General Hospital

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