Urgent Care Centre sees 4,000 patients in 8 months

When system engineer Loh Xiu Hui's right foot swelled up after tripping at home two months ago, she consulted her general practitioner (GP) in Sembawang, but he was unable to diagnose the injury without an X-ray.

She was referred to the Urgent Care Centre (UCC) beside Admiralty MRT station the same day.

It is one station from where the GP clinic is located. She had an X-ray done there and was diagnosed with a fractured toe.

Her foot was placed in a cast and she paid about $300 in total.

Ms Loh, 24, was one of the approximately 4,000 patients with urgent but non-life-threatening conditions treated at the UCC since its opening last September.

The UCC at Admiralty, the only one in Singapore, is jointly operated by the Woodlands Health Campus and Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH).

Dr Lim Eng Koon, the centre's clinical director, said: "The majority of our patients' conditions belong to the mild and moderate categories.

"We generally see patients who require urgent medical attention but whose conditions are not life-threatening."

About 15 per cent of patients were referred to it by GPs, with the rest being walk-ins.

The centre complements the Ministry of Health's GPFirst programme, which encourages people with mild to moderate medical conditions to visit their GPs first, rather than going directly to the emergency departments in hospitals.

Launched in Changi General Hospital in 2014, the GPFirst programme was first introduced in the central region last year through the UCC and KTPH.

Patients referred to the centre by GP clinics participating in the programme receive a $50 waiver off the total fee at the centre.

Dr Lim said the medical centre largely sees minor injuries, suspected fractures, acute respiratory infections, the common cold, stomach flu and abdominal pain - which make up about a fifth of all cases there.

He said that by treating such patients who require an intermediate level of care, the centre assists emergency departments in preserving resources for those who need them most.

Ms Loh said her waiting and consultation time totalled an hour.

"If I had been sent to the accident and emergency department instead, my condition probably would not have been considered critical, so I could have waited longer," she said.

The centre charges a basic fee of $90 for Singaporeans and $105 for permanent residents and foreigners, with additional charges subject to the services provided.

Correction note: This story has been edited for clarity.