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Following is a question by the Dr Hon Leung Ka-lau and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, in the Legislative Council today (March 2):
Question:
The Chief Executive has mentioned in this year's Policy Address that the number of undergraduate places in the medicine discipline will be increased by 50 in the 2016-2017 to 2018-2019 triennium, and a public hospital development plan will be launched in the coming decade to add some 5 000 public hospital beds and over 90 operating theatres. Regarding public healthcare planning for the coming decade, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it knows the completion dates of the projects, to be launched in the coming decade, to construct, expand and redevelop public hospitals, as well as the respective numbers of additional hospital beds and operating theatres to be provided upon completion of each project (set out such information by hospital cluster (cluster));
(2) whether it knows (i) the population, (ii) the number of general hospital beds, (iii) the number of general hospital beds per 1 000 population involved in the catchment area of each cluster and the overall services provided by the Hospital Authority (HA), in 2016 and in 2026 as anticipated, as well as the anticipated percentage changes in such numbers for the ten-year period (provide such information in the table in Annex 1);
(3) whether it knows, after excluding territory-wide services, (i) the number of general hospital beds and (ii) the number of such hospital beds per 1 000 population in each cluster, in 2016 and in 2026 as anticipated, for serving the population of its catchment area, as well as the anticipated percentage changes in such numbers for the ten-year period (provide such information in the table in Annex 2);
(4) whether it will allocate additional resources to HA for employing, starting from 2022, the newly-increased 50 medical graduates each year;
(5) as the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury has indicated that structural fiscal deficit would still emerge in future even if the Government only maintains the public services at the existing levels, whether the aforesaid two measures of increasing the numbers of undergraduate places in the medicine discipline and public hospital beds are for maintaining the existing levels of healthcare services or for raising the levels of such services; if the latter is the case, whether the Government will, in respect of these two measures, correspondingly allocate additional resources to HA; and
(6) whether it has comprehensively assessed the impacts to be brought about by the additional 50 medical graduates in each year, including (i) the manpower turnover in the public and private healthcare sectors, (ii) the per capita utilisation rate of healthcare services, (iii) the per capita healthcare expenditure, and (iv) the public, private and overall healthcare expenditure?
Reply:
President,
My reply to the various parts of the question raised by the Dr Hon Leung Ka-lau relating to the future public healthcare planning is as follows:
(1) The table in Annex 3 sets out the information of the projects covered by the 10-year hospital development plan of the Hospital Authority (HA).
(2) The tables in Annex 4 set out the geographical population and number of hospital beds of each cluster under HA in 2014 and the estimated geographical population and bed capacity in 2024.
In planning for its services, HA will take into account a number of factors, including population growth, demographic changes, advancement in medical technology, manpower provision, organisation of services of the clusters and hospitals, and the service demand of local communities etc. Geographical population is only one of the many factors under consideration. On the other hand, patients may, according to their needs, receive treatment in hospitals other than those in the districts where they reside. Moreover, some specialised services are available only in certain hospitals, and hence certain clusters and the beds in these clusters have to provide services for patients throughout the territory. For the aforesaid reasons, the ratio of general hospital beds per 1 000 geographical population in the clusters may not truly reflect the actual service situation.
(3) HA, having regard to the recommendations of the Steering Committee on Review of HA, is preparing a refined population-based internal resource allocation model to analyse the utilisation of healthcare services of the clusters, cross-cluster flow of patients, and the need and the utilisation of cluster resources. The model concerned will determine the specialist services that are provided for patients throughout the territory and the capacity of these services. Since the preparation of the model is still underway, we do not have a clear definition of "territory-wide services" at this stage, and we could not provide the relevant information when "territory-wide services" are excluded.
(4) and (5) With an ageing population and increasing demand for healthcare services in the community, HA will augment its manpower to meet the service needs. Implementing the 10-year hospital development plan and increasing the number of medical graduates can both help enhance the capacity and standards of public healthcare services.
Depending on the actual operational needs and financial situation of HA, as well as factors like the Government's overall fiscal position, the Government will provide funding for HA to ensure that adequate public healthcare services of good quality are available to the community.
(6) Based on the preliminary results of the Strategic Review of Healthcare Manpower Planning and Professional Development, there will be a general shortage of doctors in the future. To meet the future demand for healthcare services, the Government will increase the number of degree places in medicine by 50 starting from 2016-17 academic year. Generally speaking, students entering medical schools in 2016-17 academic year are expected to become registered medical practitioners in 2023, and it is expected that this would help alleviate the shortage of doctors then.
The Government does not have statistics on per capita healthcare utilisation rate. HA regularly announces the turnover rates of its healthcare professionals. The Government also releases information about the per capita healthcare expenditure and the public, private and overall healthcare expenditures on a regular basis.
Ends/Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Issued at HKT 17:35
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