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Following is a question by the Hon Wong Kwok-kin and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, in the Legislative Council today (February 12):
Question:
The Government proposed in this year's Policy Address to conduct strategic planning to prepare for the building of a new acute hospital (the new hospital) at Kai Tak Development Area. It has been reported that the authorities intend to raise the plot ratio of the new hospital site so as to increase the number of beds and to relocate all the existing healthcare services of Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) to the new hospital. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether the strategic planning will include conducting studies and public consultations on issues relating to relocation of the healthcare services of QEH; if so, of the details as well as the relevant initial ideas, timetable and estimated expenditure; when the new hospital is expected to be completed and commissioned;
(2) of the number of beds to be provided by the new hospital, and whether that figure is calculated on the basis of an increased plot ratio; if so, of the details; how the number of beds in the new hospital compares with the current number of beds provided by QEH, and whether the former will be sufficient to meet the additional demand for healthcare services arising from future population growth in the nearby areas;
(3) of the area of the new hospital site; whether the authorities have assessed if the site has sufficient space for future expansion; if they have assessed, of the results; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4) of the land use of the site currently occupied by QEH after relocation of its healthcare services to the new hospital, and whether the site will continue to be used for providing public healthcare services; whether the authorities have assessed the impact of QEH ceasing to provide healthcare services at its existing site on the demand for services of Kwong Wah Hospital, the other acute hospital nearby; if they have assessed, of the results; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
To meet the healthcare service demand of the Kowloon region in the long run, we have reserved a site in the Kai Tak Development (KTD) Area for the construction of a new acute general hospital. The proposed hospital will provide clinical services of major specialties, including accident and emergency services. The Hospital Authority (HA) is conducting the relevant strategic planning and studies to gauge the service needs of Kowloon and the Kai Tak area. Technical assessment and analysis of clinical needs are also being carried out so that the provision of medical services can suitably cope with the long-term development of the area. The service planning and technical feasibility study for the new hospital are expected to be completed this year. We will then seek funding approval in accordance with the established procedures so as to implement the project as soon as possible.
My reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:
(1) The HA is reviewing and assessing the overall demand for and supply of healthcare services in Kowloon, as well as developing the clinical services plan of the Kowloon Central Cluster (KCC). The review and the services plan are expected to be completed within this year. The key aspects of the services plan include formulating proposals for the healthcare services to be provided by the acute general hospital in the KTD Area and mapping out the future development directions of the existing hospitals in the KCC. Upon completion of the planning work, the HA will work out the timetable and estimated expenditure involved in the development of the new hospital.
(2) At present, Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) provides a total of 1 844 beds. The HA is developing the clinical services plan for the KCC, setting out its future development direction as well as the service capacity of and the number of beds to be provided by the new acute general hospital in the KTD Area. Upon completion of the clinical services plan, the HA will start the planning for the construction of the new hospital and conduct relevant technical feasibility studies.
In making demand projection and defining the scale of the new acute general hospital in Kai Tak (including the number of beds), we will take into account the population in the KTD Area and other factors such as the pace of population growth and ageing in Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon City and the neighbourhood areas, cross-district utilisation of medical services, as well as the roles of various hospitals in the district and the co-ordination of their services and facilities. This is to ensure that the provision of medical services in the district can suitably address the overall long-term service demand.
(3) We have reserved about seven hectares of land in the KTD Area for the development of healthcare facilities, including the Centre of Excellence in Paediatrics under construction and the proposed acute general hospital. As mentioned in the previous paragraphs, the HA is conducting strategic planning and studies for the development of the acute general hospital in the KTD. Subject to technical feasibility, the HA will consider development options and the need for further expansion of the new hospital having regard to the long-term demand for medical services.
(4) The clinical services plan of the KCC and the technical feasibility study for the new hospital is expected to be completed in 2014. During the planning process, the needs of local residents will be considered, the development of hospitals in the cluster (including QEH) and their co-ordination with other hospitals will also be worked out according to the demand projection.
The redevelopment of the QEH is still in the preliminary planning/conceptual stage and the Administration has yet to finalise a plan. Nevertheless, with an increasing demand for overall healthcare services in Hong Kong, there is a need to provide more healthcare facilities. Hence, we do not have plan to change the use of the current QEH site from provision of public healthcare services to other purposes.
Ends/Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Issued at HKT 12:29
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