Patient Registration

The waiting list office staff cover the outpatient registration desks in the main Outpatients Department (OPD), The Urology Unit, Neurology, Ophthalmology  and Dermatology. During the registration process all patient details including name, address, contact numbers and their GP are checked.

Self-registration

To reduce the amount of time patients have to wait to be registered when they attend clinic there have been 3 x self-registration kiosks placed in the main OPD at University Hospital Galway. A number of specialties have now been uploaded with the rest to follow shortly.

Did Not Attend (DNA)

If a patient DNAs as outlined in the OSPIP Guidance they will be removed from the waiting list, a letter is then sent to the patient and their GP informing them.   There are exceptions to this process where the patient is deemed at risk or the clinician they were due to see requests that they be re-appointed.

A number of systems have been developed to try and help reduce DNA rates including:

• Partial Booking – This requires the patient to ‘opt in’ i.e. phone the hospital to arrange their appointment rather than just sending them an appointment (UHG specialties booked by the Central Appointments Office only).
• Text Reminder Service – A text reminder is sent to the patient 9 days and then 3 days prior to their appointment.
• Validation – Patients are contacted to check that they wish to remain on the waiting list.
• Overbooking – Clinics templates do account for a number of DNAs.

During 2018 there were a total of 8,494 new patients and 28,689 review patients who DNA’d, this is putting significant pressures on the acute system.