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GDP. Hong Kong's ageing population, rising expectations of health care, and soaring medical costs pose a challenge to the Government in the long run and are matters of concern to the community.

Organisational Framework

The Food and Health Bureau's responsibilities include formulating policies and allocating resources for running Hong Kong's health services. It also strives to strengthen the healthcare system to ensure these policies are carried out effectively in order to protect and promote public health, provide lifelong holistic health care to every citizen, and ensure that no one is denied adequate medical treatment due to lack of means.

The Department of Health is the Government's health adviser and agency to execute healthcare policies and statutory functions. It safeguards the community's health through a range of promotional, preventive, curative and rehabilitative services.

The Hospital Authority is a statutory body established in 1990 under the Hospital Authority Ordinance to provide public hospital and related services. It offers medical treatment and rehabilitation services to patients through hospitals, specialist clinics, general outpatient clinics, and outreaching services that are organised into seven clusters that together serve the whole of Hong Kong.

The Health and Medical Development Advisory Committee (HMDAC), chaired by the Secretary for Food and Health, comprises 14 non-official members drawn from different sectors of the community. Its role is to review regularly the way healthcare services are provided and to draw up a long-term plan to ensure the sustainable development of Hong Kong's healthcare system.

Healthcare Reform

In July 2005, the HMDAC issued a discussion paper on the desired future healthcare service delivery model. This contained proposals that won extensive public support. Its key recommendations include:

(a) putting more emphasis on primary healthcare services and promoting the

family doctor concept;

(b) strengthening collaboration and co-operation between the public and

private sectors with the former focusing more on its priority areas;

(c) caring for the elderly, patients with chronic diseases and patients in the

rehabilitation stage in the community as far as possible; and

(d) making use of information technology to establish

establish a territory-wide electronic patient record system.

In accordance with the proposals made by the HMDAC, the Government published the healthcare reform consultation document 'Your Health, Your Life' in March 2008, putting forward a package of inter-connected reform proposals on the

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