The Hospital Authority said on Friday there was a slight drop in the number of patients seeking treatment at accident and emergency departments after fees increased from New Year's Day, but more time is needed to assess the impact on services. The new charges saw A&E fees for urgent, semi-urgent, and non-urgent cases rising from HK$180 to HK$400, though there is no charge for patients triaged as critical or emergency. Chief Manager Dr Larry Lee said that about 3,800 patients were seen at accident and emergency departments after the new fee came into effect, with waiting times staying at about 70 to 80 minutes. However, he said that it is too early to analyse the figures as they are based on only one day. "I think there isn’t a conclusion yet. Traditionally, the number of patients seeking treatment in A&E during public holidays isn’t as high as it is after the holidays. So whether the number of patients seeking treatment will continue to decline, it’s still too early to tell," he said. He noted that additional staff have been deployed to explain the fee changes to patients. He said in the coming days, operations will continue to be closely monitored to ensure that services at public hospitals remain smooth after the New Year holiday ends.