Primary Healthcare Commission announces priority booking arrangement for Hospital Authority's Family Medicine Out-patient Services (with photo)
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To address the needs of the underprivileged group in seeking consultation, the HA will launch the Pilot Scheme to allocate as appropriate some of the priority quotas to the priority groups. Priority groups include recipients of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme, recipients of the Old Age Living Allowance aged 75 or above, Level 0 Voucher Holders of the Residential Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly, and recipients of the Working Family Allowance (WFA) Scheme (the priority group eligibility for WFA Scheme recipients is valid for 12 months from the issue dates of their grant application letters).
Individuals belonging to the priority groups can be eligible in the Pilot Scheme, and make priority bookings for FMOP episodic consultations, after registering as members of District Health Centres/District Health Centre Expresses (collectively referred to as DHCs) and as priority group members for FMOP Services via the eHealth mobile application (eHealth app) or in person at DHCs. When making an appointment, registered individuals may first select their respective priority group through the booking system of the eHealth app. The system will then connect to the "HA Go" mobile application to make a booking for FMOP episodic consultations and the process does not require them to re-enter personal information. The system will offer priority quotas based on individual's eligibility as priority groups (refer to Annex). Consultation fees will be charged according to the standard rates of FMOPs.
Participants in the Pilot Scheme can also join activities organised by DHCs to better manage their own health. The Government had successfully set up DHCs in all districts across the city by the end of 2022. Each DHC will set up several satellite centres/service points, mainly providing health promotion, health risk assessment, disease screening, chronic disease management and community rehabilitation services and more. For more details, please visit the DHC website.
The Primary Healthcare Blueprint proposed developing a prevention-oriented primary healthcare system, and repositioning the HA's General Out-patient Clinic services to prioritise serving underprivileged groups. The Pilot Scheme is a major initiative according to the implementation plan of the Blueprint. Together with the HA's General Out-patient Clinic and Family Medicine Specialist Clinic services, which were unified under the name "FMOP Services" earlier this month, these measures mark that Family Medicine will be the core of the public primary healthcare, the team of FMOP will serve as family doctors for underprivileged groups, providing those in need with people-centered and prevention-focus healthcare services.
After the launch of the Pilot Scheme, the PHC Commission and the HA will closely monitor and evaluate its effectiveness and the utilisation of priority quotas. They will also reserve priority quotas as appropriate and adjust the proportion of priority quotas based on needs and the actual situation, with a view to ensuring that the priority groups will be benefited.
Ends/Friday, October 24, 2025
Issued at HKT 21:23
Issued at HKT 21:23
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