The number of patients being referred to hospital by health centres rose by 3.6% between 2015 and 2016, and if the current trend continues this year, will go up by 7.7%.

According to a Parliamentary Question reply provided by Health Minister Chris Fearne, there were 8,094 referrals between January and May this year, which would extrapolate to 19,425 given no seasonal fluctuations. This compares with 18,041 for the whole of 2016.

Only one out of every 10 chronically ill patients should be referred from health clinics to Mater Dei Hospital

Health centres are considered to be the ‘gatekeepers’ for hospitals but the rising population and more visits in general have been piling pressure on them. Just over a year ago, the Medical Association of Malta had gone so far as to declare an industrial dispute, saying the deterioration of the centres had led to an exodus of young doctors and unacceptable patient waiting lists. At the time, it said that about 15 doctors had stopped working in public clinics since 2013 and had not been replaced, nor had any new doctors been engaged.

The MAM believes that only one out of every 10 chronically ill patients should be referred from health clinics to Mater Dei Hospital. The actual figure, however, was much higher as community care was often inadequate.