❓ Mr. Cook inquires about waiting times, patient numbers, and priority criteria for Genetic Services WA. The Minister for Health provides detailed information on waiting times for different categories, patient numbers, and the criteria used for prioritisation, emphasising clinical urgency over specific conditions.
AnsweredQoN 5715Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to Genetic Services WA and ask: (a) what is the average waiting time for testing of priority patients; (b) what is the average waiting time for testing of non priority patients; (c) how many patients in total are on the waiting list with genetic services (both priority and non priority); (d) can you provide a breakdown of how many patients on the waiting list are priority, and how many are non priority; (e) what genetic conditions are generally considered non-priority; (f) what genetic conditions are generally considered priority; (g) are there other criteria taken into consideration in determining priority status (apart from the condition being tested for) for example, other co-morbidities the patient might have or other factors, eg. patient might be wishing to start a family but is unsure whether they might be passing on a genetic condition, etc; and (h) what is the criteria for determining priority testing?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
20 September 2016
Responded by
Minister for Health
Response time
35 days
(a-b) Please refer to the table provided.
Genetic Service
(a)
Category 1
(b)
Category 2
Category 3
Familial Cancer Program
< 1 month
< 1 month
9-12 months (Genetic Counsellor)
6-7 months (Geneticist)
Paediatric Genetics
< 1 week
< 2 months
< 18 months
Obstetrics and General Genetics
< 1 week
< 1 month
< 6 months
(c) 1125, as at 16 August 2016.
(d) 56 are priority referrals (Category 1) and 1,069 are non-priority referrals (Category 2 and Category 3).
(e–f) The priority of a case is not generally assessed in relation to a particular Genetic condition, but on the timeframe imposed by the current health status where clinical management decisions depend on the outcome of genetic review.
Patients with malignant cancer, anticipated chemotherapy, cancer related surgery, paediatric oncology, and current in-patients (paediatric and neonatal) are generally priority referrals (Category 1).
(g) Families known to Genetic Services WA (GSWA), particularly with a confirmed diagnosis, may be processed more quickly as the time and effort to compile the family history information is much less and GSWA are more likely to have original documentation of the relevant condition for that family.
Clinical urgency for other family members who may be impacted by the clinical evaluation or testing outcome is considered in the prioritisation decision.
(h) Clinical Priority Access Criteria (CPAC) are used to select and prioritise patients for outpatient services in WA hospitals, the guidelines are available from the Department of Health General Practice website.
Genetic Service
(a)
Category 1
(b)
Category 2
Category 3
Familial Cancer Program
< 1 month
< 1 month
9-12 months (Genetic Counsellor)
6-7 months (Geneticist)
Paediatric Genetics
< 1 week
< 2 months
< 18 months
Obstetrics and General Genetics
< 1 week
< 1 month
< 6 months
(c) 1125, as at 16 August 2016.
(d) 56 are priority referrals (Category 1) and 1,069 are non-priority referrals (Category 2 and Category 3).
(e–f) The priority of a case is not generally assessed in relation to a particular Genetic condition, but on the timeframe imposed by the current health status where clinical management decisions depend on the outcome of genetic review.
Patients with malignant cancer, anticipated chemotherapy, cancer related surgery, paediatric oncology, and current in-patients (paediatric and neonatal) are generally priority referrals (Category 1).
(g) Families known to Genetic Services WA (GSWA), particularly with a confirmed diagnosis, may be processed more quickly as the time and effort to compile the family history information is much less and GSWA are more likely to have original documentation of the relevant condition for that family.
Clinical urgency for other family members who may be impacted by the clinical evaluation or testing outcome is considered in the prioritisation decision.
(h) Clinical Priority Access Criteria (CPAC) are used to select and prioritise patients for outpatient services in WA hospitals, the guidelines are available from the Department of Health General Practice website.
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