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Health

Medical Charges and Waivers

Fees for public hospital and clinic services for the public are subsidised up to 97 per cent by the government, and are waived for CSSA recipients. Other needy groups, including low-income patients, the chronically ill, and elderly patients with financial difficulties, are assisted through a medical fee waiver mechanism.

Private Hospitals

The 11 private hospitals served 374,875 inpatients in 2014, representing 19 per cent of the city's total number of inpatients. Spending on private inpatient services amounted to $14.6 billion in 2012-13, accounting for 34 per cent of overall expenditure on inpatient services in the public and private sectors.

Development and Infrastructure

Public Hospital Development Projects

A number of public hospital development projects are in progress in different parts of Hong Kong. In 2015, Yan Chai Hospital's new wellness centre came into operation and the redevelopment of Caritas Medical Centre was completed. Works began on the refurbishment of Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital and expansion of the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service Headquarters. Other ongoing projects include the remaining works for the redevelopment of Yan Chai Hospital, the construction of Tin Shui Wai Hospital and Hong Kong Children's Hospital, the reprovisioning of Yaumatei Specialist Clinic at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and demolition and substructure works for the expansion of United Christian Hospital. Preparatory works to redevelop Kwong Wah Hospital and Queen Mary Hospital are also under

way.

Public-private Partnership Projects

The government takes part in a series of clinical public-private partnership projects through the Hospital Authority, including the Cataract Surgeries Programme, Patient Empowerment Programme, Haemodialysis Public-Private Partnership Programme and Pilot Project on Enhancing Radiological Investigation Services through Collaboration with the Private Sector.

The Hospital Authority's General Outpatient Clinic Public-Private Partnership Programme, launched in Kwun Tong, Wong Tai Sin and Tuen Mun in mid-2014, subsidises hypertension patients of stable condition (with or without hyperlipidemia) from its general outpatient clinics to receive treatment by private doctors. As at end-December 2015, 92 private doctors and 6,745 patients had taken part in the programme.

Sharing of Electronic Health Records

A Public-Private-Interface Electronic Patient Record Sharing Pilot Project, launched in 2006, aims to enhance continuity of care by enabling participating private healthcare professionals, with the patients' consent, to access the Hospital Authority's records. As at the end of 2015, about 480,000 patients, 3,557 private healthcare professionals, 11 private hospitals and 78 other private organisations or NGOs had taken part in the project.

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