Hospital Authority welcomes “The Chief Executive’s 2023 Policy Address”
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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
     The Hospital Authority (HA) Chairman, Mr Henry Fan, welcomed the healthcare service-related measures included in “The Chief Executive’s 2023 Policy Address” delivered by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (October 25). It is believed that the measures will facilitate the HA in enhancing the quality of public healthcare service, establishing a healthy Hong Kong.
     The HA will fully collaborate with the Government’s policies, and continue to increase service capacity and improve quality of public healthcare in order to meet the rising demands. In addition to the measures on shortening the waiting time of stable new case booking in Medicine Specialist Out-patient Clinics, the HA will strive to shorten the waiting time of stable new case booking of two specialties, namely Ear, Nose and Throat, and Orthopaedics and Traumatology, by 10 per cent next year. The HA will continue to promote the Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine (ICWM) Programme by incorporating Chinese Medicine rehabilitation in the clinical framework for stroke care in-patient services to cover all clusters of the HA, launching a pilot programme on cancer care at Day Chemotherapy Centres, as well as exploring the extension of ICWM services to cover more disease areas, such as elderly degenerative diseases. In terms of mental health, the HA will optimise the ratio of case manager to patients with severe mental illness to no higher than 1:40 under the Case Management Programme, and maintain the median waiting time for new case triaged as Priority 1 (urgent) and Priority 2 (semi-urgent) at Psychiatric Specialist Out-patient Clinics at no longer than one week and four weeks respectively to strengthen the support to patients with mental illnesses.
     Under the support of the Government, the HA will continue to improve its healthcare services, by establishing a Hong Kong’s first Chest Pain Centre in Queen Mary Hospital in 2025 in accordance with national accreditation standards so as to improve the patient journey for patients with cardiovascular diseases, and to improve treatment outcome and increase survival rate. Also, in accordance to the Government’s measures in promoting fertility, the HA will set up a breastmilk bank and gradually increase public service quota for assisted reproductive services. Meanwhile, the Cluster Clinical Research Support Office is to be established to promote clinical research and trials in the HA.
     Mr Fan said, “Healthcare talents is the key to establish a healthy Hong Kong. The HA will continue attracting more healthcare talents and strengthening the exchange and co-operation through different programmes. Riding on the collaborative experience with the Guangdong Province, the HA will commence clinical healthcare staff exchange programme with Shanghai. Mutual exchange can facilitate a more holistic learning environment, and enhance healthcare service quality in the long run.”
     The HA also supports the Government to strategically procure healthcare services from suitable healthcare institutions in the Greater Bay Area, as this could alleviate the pressure on public hospitals and enable citizens to receive treatment sooner. Also, the exploration on standing organ transplant mutual assistance mechanism with the Mainland can increase the chance of patients on the waiting list in both places getting a transplant.
     Furthermore, the HA will resume the Hospital Accreditation Programme and adopt the “International Hospital Quality Accreditation Standards (China)” (2021 Version), to ensure that public hospitals are up to international hospital quality standards.
     Mr Fan expressed heartfelt appreciation for the Government’s support for the public healthcare service. The HA will strive to implement the initiatives for the benefit of patients.