Hospital Authority revamps A&E waiting time system to show category-based estimates

The Hospital Authority (HA) has revamped its online Accident and Emergency (A&E) waiting time system, introducing a more detailed display that breaks down waiting times according to patient urgency.

The new feature, launched on Wednesday, aims to give the public a clearer understanding of how emergency cases are prioritised, particularly during the current flu surge that has crowded hospitals across the city.

Under the new arrangement, the online “A&E Waiting Time” webpage now displays five triage categories instead of a single estimated waiting time. The categories range from “Critical” and “Emergency” to “Urgent,” “Semi-urgent,” and “Non-urgent.”

The upgraded system also introduces a “light bulb” indicator, which alerts the public when an A&E department is handling large numbers of high-priority patients in the top two categories. The indicator warns that waiting times for lower-priority cases may be longer during these periods.

As of 10.15am this morning, all public hospital patients in the “Critical” category had no waiting time, while “Emergency” patients were typically seen within 15 minutes. However, those in less urgent categories faced significantly longer waits.

At Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital in Tai Po, “Urgent” patients could expect to be seen within 14 minutes, but “most” were treated closer to 56 minutes. At Princess Margaret Hospital, “Semi-urgent” patients waited between one hour and three and a half hours, while at North District Hospital, “Non-urgent” cases faced waits of up to eight hours.

The new system also distinguishes between two time estimates: one showing when half of the patients can be seen, and another showing when most patients will be treated. The HA said this dual display reflects more accurately how waiting times vary based on case volume and urgency.