XN000022-1995-10-11 — Page 32

-

24

-

Culture of Civil Service

Hong Kong's Civil Service had built a deep reservoir of respect and goodwill among the people it served, the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, told the Legislative Council today (Wednesday).

"This is not a statement which could be made about most other governments, he said, opening the Council's 1995-96 session," he said.

**

"In many communities, civil servants are not held in high esteem. But our community knows the value of an honest, committed and efficient public service.

"The civil service culture must be intolerant of complacency. There has to be an unwillingness to settle for the quiet life.

"For Hong Kong, the Civil Service, along with the Judiciary and this Council, is one of the key institutions in making a success of the concept of 'one country, two systems'."

This required a culture of service to its clients in every sector of the Government, said the Governor.

Mr Patten praised the Hospital Authority, in particular, for its pioneering work in developing a "Patient's Charter".

This set out the ways in which the community and the hospitals work as partners, explaining clearly patients' rights and obligations and had gone hand-in-hand with major improvements in hospital care.

The Governor said this proved that a commitment to serving the client was not a gimmick or an additional and unwelcome burden on hard-pressed managers.

End/Wednesday, October 11, 1995