TNAG-0507-FCO40-572-Development-of-medical-and-health-services-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 88

CONFIDENTIAL

機密

XCC(74)52

Greater use of existing hospital beds

13

To achieve the fullest use of beds in Government and Government-assisted hospitals, a comprehensive regional approach to medical and health services and, within this regional organisation, new integrated arrangements for the use of general third class beds are proposed. This MDAC proposal was welcomed in the public comments received; its implementation is considered in greater detail in Chapters 5 and 6 of the draft White Paper. Three main factors are involved:

(a) a greater degree of integration of the Government

and Government-assisted hospital sectors;

(b) uniform charges for relevant beds in participating

hospitals; and

(c) changes in the subvention arrangements for certain

subvented hospitals participating in the new arrangements.

The new system should be applied to third class general beds in the first instance and be administered from the new regional medical and health offices.

Hospitals participating in the new arrangements

14

All Government hospitals would participate; it is expected that the hospitals in the Tung Wah Group, the United Christian Hospital, the Buddhist Hospital and the Caritas Medical Centre would also participate. The Director of Medical and Health Services understands that, provided suitable arrangements can be agreed, these Government- assisted hospitals are ready to join.

Uniform charges

15

In making their proposal for uniform charges for third class beds MDAC recommended:

(a) a two-stage increase from the present $2 per day

all-inclusive maintenance charge in Government hospitals, initially to $3 per day and, after 12-18 months, to $5 per day (paragraph 49 of the MDAC Report);

C.S. 166

CONFIDENTIAL

機密