Gozo patients to gain wider access to public medical investigations through private specialists

Patients in Malta and Gozo will have wider access to clinical investigations through their private doctors from 1 September, as the government extends the range of blood tests and ultrasound examinations that private-practice specialists can request from the public health system.

The reform, announced by Health Minister Ian Borg, will allow family medicine specialists and other private specialists to order a broader range of investigations from the Gozo General Hospital, Mater Dei Hospital and other National Health Service facilities.

“This agreement means that patients under the care of private family medicine specialists will save time and money in having to be referred back into the public system,” Borg said.

He said the government wanted family medicine specialists in the community to play a more integral role in improving the quality and efficiency of healthcare.

The changes are the first extension of private specialists’ access to public medical investigations since 2007 and follow discussions involving the Medical Association of Malta, the Association of Private Family Doctors, the Malta College of Family Doctors, representatives of other private-practice specialists and Mater Dei Hospital authorities.

From 1 September, family medicine specialists and other private-practice specialists will be able to request a range of blood investigations covering bone, vitamin and mineral levels, digestive and bowel health, infection and inflammation, heart failure, early kidney damage and muscle enzymes.

The tests will also include monitoring of blood levels for patients receiving long-term treatment for epilepsy, heart conditions and mental health conditions.

Obstetricians and gynaecologists will have access to additional pregnancy-related blood tests, including blood-group and antibody screening, immunity testing for German measles and chickenpox, and screening for syphilis and hepatitis B and C.

Private specialists will also be able to request ultrasound examinations of the abdomen and pelvis, kidneys and bladder, neck and thyroid, testes, as well as scans of lumps and swellings beneath the skin.

All referrals and test results will be processed electronically through the myHealth system. Printed referral forms will no longer be accepted.

The Health Ministry said the reform is being introduced in phases, taking into account the existing capacity of public laboratories and imaging services.

This is intended to ensure that the new referrals do not negatively affect patients who are already waiting for diagnosis or treatment.

The government will assess the outcome of the first phase before deciding on further extensions, including potentially broader access to patients’ clinical records for private specialists.

The ministry said public testing and imaging facilities currently process more than 10 million tests annually.

Investment is also under way to expand capacity, including the construction of a new Medical Imaging Department at Mater Dei Hospital and a planned biochemistry project aimed at introducing Total Laboratory Automation.