Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) (Amendment) Regulation 2026 and Residential Care Homes (Persons with Disabilities) (Amendment) Regulation 2026 gazetted
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The Government proposes to amend the Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Regulation (Cap. 459A) and the Residential Care Homes (Persons with Disabilities) Regulation (Cap. 613A) to establish a registration system for HCPs and incorporate HCPs into the staffing requirements for residential care homes (RCHs) whilst maintaining the existing statutory staffing requirements unchanged. This allows RCH operators to employ either enrolled nurses or HCPs to meet the relevant statutory requirements. The amendment exercise also changes the basis of calculating the staffing requirements for nursing homes from the total number of beds as currently adopted to the total number of residents for aligning with the international practice and the relevant requirements for RCHs of other care levels in Hong Kong.
A spokesperson for the Labour and Welfare Bureau said, "The establishment of the HCP rank will attract people who aspire to pursue a career in the social welfare sector, and provide health workers with promotion and career development prospects, thereby assisting the sector in retaining talent. Besides, the new initiative will enable RCHs to utilise their manpower resources more flexibly, as well as establish a dedicated pool of care talent for the social welfare sector, and reduce competition for nursing talent with the healthcare sector. The Social Welfare Department (SWD) will implement a three-year subsidy scheme to support eligible serving registered health workers with potential to undergo the HCP professional diploma programme recognised by SWD."
As residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) and residential care homes for persons with disabilities (RCHDs) often encounter difficulties in recruiting or retaining staff, SWD had engaged a consultant earlier to conduct a holistic review of the skill and qualification requirements of RCH staff, with a view to establishing professional standards and a career progression path for them. The Consultancy Study report showed that, in terms of the nursing care work in RCHs, the duties of enrolled nurses and health workers were similar. Health workers, with appropriate training and assessment, could further shoulder more care responsibilities. The Consultancy Study report thus recommended establishing a new professional rank of HCP for the social welfare sector. The rank will specialise in providing nursing care as well as health and care services in elderly/rehabilitation social welfare service units such as RCHEs and RCHDs, and undertake duties equivalent to those of enrolled nurses in the welfare service units concerned."
The Amendment Regulations will be tabled at the Legislative Council for negative vetting on June 10. Subject to the completion of the legislative procedures, the Amendment Regulations will come into effect on October 14.
Ends/Friday, June 5, 2026
Issued at HKT 15:00
Issued at HKT 15:00
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