LCQ9: Relocation of Queen Elizabeth Hospital
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Question:
Kai Tak Hospital (KTH) has commenced services in phases this month, and the clinical services of Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) will be gradually transferred to KTH. In the 2026 Policy Address, the Government proposed that the Hospital Authority would develop Hong Kong's first integrated ambulatory care hospital at QEH's King's Park site. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the commencement and target completion dates for the transfer of each type of clinical service and specialist outpatient service at QEH (set out in a table); the transitional arrangements for patient services during the relocation period;
(2) as there are views relaying that KTH is inconveniently located and lacks adequate supporting public transport services, whether the authorities will further enhance its public transport arrangements;
(3) given that in its reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on April 2 last year, the Government indicated that the authorities would explore the feasibility of the Smart and Green Mass Transit System in Kai Tak passing through KTH, of the outcome of the authorities' latest assessment;
(4) of the specific planning details and works schedule for the conversion of QEH into an integrated ambulatory care hospital, including the areas to be demolished and those to be retained, and whether there is a need to construct a new building, etc.;
(5) whether the integrated ambulatory care hospital will further provide endoscopy examination services, ambulatory cancer drug treatment and other ambulatory surgical services in the future; whether the authorities will consider optimising the use of healthcare manpower resources across the territory by engaging private medical practitioners to practise at the integrated ambulatory care hospital and provide public healthcare services;
(6) of the support services that will be provided by the integrated ambulatory care hospital for discharged patients; and whether an appropriate number of overnight beds will be provided to offer extended care services to patients who are unable to be discharged as scheduled; and
(7) given that ambulatory healthcare services require patients and their family members to make a same-day return trip, whether the Administration will enhance the supporting public transport services for the integrated ambulatory care hospital and increase the number of private car parking spaces, so as to facilitate family members in picking up and dropping off patients?
Reply:
President,
In consultation with the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Hospital Authority (HA), the reply to the question raised by Dr the Hon David Lam is as follows:
Kai Tak Hospital (KTH) has commenced services progressively in phases starting from October 5, 2026, gradually taking over most of the clinical services from Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH). With a total gross floor area of 500 000 square metres, KTH will provide 2 400 beds upon full commissioning, making it the largest public hospital in Hong Kong and the flagship hospital of the Kowloon Central Cluster (KCC). Serving a population of 1.8 million covering Yau Tsim Mong, Kowloon City, Wong Tai Sin and Kwun Tong districts, KTH assumes the role of public healthcare hub in Kowloon. KTH will leverage its strengths to enhance collaboration with other hospitals within the KCC, while supporting other Kowloon clusters to further enhance the quality of public healthcare services in the region.
On the other hand, as promulgated in the Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address, with the progressive relocation of QEH services to Kai Tak, the HA will develop Hong Kong's first integrated ambulatory care hospital at King's Park. The first phase will include a high-capacity ambulatory cataract surgery centre, a high-capacity ambulatory radiology centre and an ambulatory radiotherapy centre, scheduled to commence services in 2027-28. With the commissioning of the high-capacity cataract surgery centre, annual service capacity will increase by about 5 500. With annotation and triage at the high-capacity radiology centre to be carried out with AI, the annual service capacity for computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will increase by about 40 per cent compared to general facilities. The increase in service capacity at the radiotherapy centre will also accelerate treatment procedures for cancer patients. These services will be rolled out progressively in phases, giving due consideration to the relocation timetable of QEH services to KTH, the preparation progress of relevant facilities and the time required for alteration works, etc.
(1) Upon completion of the Specialist Out-patient Block and the Oncology Block of KTH, the Family Medicine Integrated Centre (FMIC), specialist out-patient services, allied health services, examinations by the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, day services for Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the Department of Pharmacy, specimen collection by the Department of Pathology and the Patient Resource Centre are set to commence services in the first phase.
The FMIC, the Department of Pharmacy, and the Patient Resource Centre commenced services on October 5, 2026, providing a series of family medicine out-patient primary healthcare services. Patients suffering from episodic diseases can schedule appointments in the next 24 hours via the "Book FMC" function on HA Go, the HA's one-stop mobile application, or through the telephone booking system.
In addition, the HA is adopting a phased approach to progressively arrange for patients to transfer from QEH to KTH for services. The detailed arrangements are as follows:
(i) Allied health services, including the Departments of Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Dietetic, Podiatry, and Prosthetic and Orthotic, have been progressively commenced services since October 6, 2026;
(ii) Specialist out-patient services of the Departments of Surgery, Neurosurgery and Clinical Oncology, as well as specimen collection services by the Department of Pathology, will progressively commence services in late October 2026;
(iii) Examinations by the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, including X-rays, ultrasound scans, MRIs, CT scans and Positron Emission Tomography-CT (PET-CT) scans, will commence services in batches between October and November 2026;
(iv) Specialist out-patient services of the Departments of Medicine and Family Medicine will commence services in mid-November 2026;
(v) Day services for Obstetrics and Gynaecology will commence services in late November 2026; and
(vi) The remaining specialist out-patient services, including the Departments of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Paediatrics, as well as major clinical services such as in-patient services, surgery and Accident and Emergency services, are expected to be transferred to KTH in 2028 when the Acute Block is completed.
As a transitional arrangement, the HA staff will call all patients who need to be transferred from QEH to KTH for attending follow-up consultations, ensuring that the patients are informed of the latest consultation arrangements. Meanwhile, the HA also reminds relevant patients via mail, SMS messages and HA Go.
In addition, during the transition period, if any patients who should go to KTH inadvertently go to QEH for consultation, QEH will make special one-off arrangements to provide services for the patients at QEH. The patients need not travel to KTH for consultation.
The HA will continue to actively brief relevant stakeholders and members of the public on the detailed arrangements for the commissioning of KTH through various channels, including promotional talks, seminars and carnivals. The HA has also added information regarding the "Kai Tak Hospital: Service Transfer Arrangements" to HA Go.
(2) To support the commissioning of KTH, the Transport Department (TD) has installed appropriate traffic signs along the roads in the vicinity of the hospital to guide motorists and pedestrians to the hospital. While dedicated Franchised Bus (FB) lay-bys have been provided outside KTH, Green Minibus (GMB) stops and a taxi stand have also been provided within the hospital premises to facilitate passenger access to and from the hospital.
Regarding public transport arrangements, the TD had maintained close liaison with the HA, relevant government departments, District Councils and local stakeholders prior to the commissioning of KTH. Having regard to various data including the geographical distribution of patients, the TD assessed the overall public transport demand of KTH and undertook advance planning to meet the travelling needs of passengers.
Currently, multiple MTR stations (including Kai Tak Station, Kowloon Bay Station, Ngau Tau Kok Station, Kwun Tong Station, Yau Tong Station, Sung Wong Toi Station, To Kwa Wan Station and Wong Tai Sin Station), as well as a total of 11 FB and GMB routes in various districts in Kowloon provide direct services to KTH. In response to local stakeholders' feedback, the FB operators have additionally arranged five FB routes or special departure services to serve KTH since late September and early October this year. These include the introduction of special departures of KMB Routes 11A and 17A to facilitate residents of the Chuk Yuen and Ho Man Tin areas to travel to KTH following the commissioning of the hospital. At present, a total of 16 public transport routes provide direct services to the hospital.
Meanwhile, to facilitate persons with disabilities, the Rehabus operator has arranged a shuttle bus service connecting KTH with MTR Kai Tak Station and Lok Fu Station to cater for passengers in need.
In addition, more than 40 FB and GMB routes serving the adjacent Kowloon Bay Business Area have en-route stops along Kai Fuk Road or near the Zero Carbon Park. Members of the public can reach KTH within a few minutes on foot via the covered footbridge near GREEN@KWUN TONG.
On the part of the HA, to facilitate the public in obtaining information through various channels, the hospital has produced a "Kai Tak Hospital Transportation Guide" and filmed videos introducing how to access the hospital via various public transport modes, which are disseminated through the hospital's platforms and local stakeholders.
Furthermore, signage has been set up inside KTH to guide the public in taking public transport such as buses, minibuses and taxis. During the initial phase of KTH's service commencement, the hospital also deploys volunteer teams at the ground floor lobbies across all blocks of KTH to answer enquiries and provide assistance to the public.
The HA and the TD will continue to maintain close liaison and closely monitor the overall development progress of the KTH project. As various services at KTH are progressively rolled out, the HA and the TD will work with public transport operators to enhance and adjust relevant public transport services in light of actual passenger travel patterns and demand, and continue to optimise the existing network to meet the travelling needs of the public commuting to and from KTH.
(3) The Government invited tenders for the Smart and Green Mass Transit System in Kai Tak based on the current alignment connecting MTR Kai Tak Station and Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in October last year. Tenderers were required to make provisions in their designs for extending the system to KTH and were encouraged to submit feasible extension proposals as specified in the tender documents. The tender closed in August this year and relative bureaux are currently evaluating the tender submissions received, with the target of awarding the contract this year. The Government will immediately discuss with the successful franchisee the feasibility of extending the system to KTH after award of the contract.
(4) to (7) The King's Park site is located in Central Kowloon with comprehensive transport infrastructure, enabling convenient access for patients from across Hong Kong. The King's Park site will fulfill two major strategic roles within the HA healthcare system, which include serving as an integrated ambulatory care hospital providing high-capacity, non-emergency services to alleviate hospital capacity constraints and provide greater accessibility for patients; and establishing the HA Technology Convergence Hub (HA-TCH) on a demand-driven basis to accelerate the adoption of innovative medical technologies through interactions between real-world scenarios and clinical applications. Through collaboration with stakeholders, the HA-TCH will set up a medical technology demonstration base across multiple HA facilities to introduce innovative drugs and medical equipment, while establishing a demand-side feedback loop to relay clinical practical needs to pharmaceutical and medical device enterprises in a timely manner. By implementing the initiatives in phases, the King's Park site will enhance healthcare service efficiency while promoting advancements in healthcare and technology, strengthening Hong Kong's position as a healthcare innovation hub.
The first integrated ambulatory care hospital in Hong Kong to be developed at King's Park will feature a high-capacity ambulatory cataract surgery centre, a high-capacity ambulatory radiology centre and an ambulatory radiotherapy centre, scheduled to commence services in 2027-28. In response to service demands in Kowloon and other regions, and following the progressive relocation of QEH clinical services to KTH, the HA will further expand the scope of ambulatory care services to cover services including various types of day diagnostic and therapeutic services in a timely manner.
The services to be provided by the new ambulatory care hospital will focus on handling standardised and low-risk procedures among stable cases based on standard clinical protocols and clear patient selection criteria. The HA will also strengthen the service network of the new ambulatory care hospital with other HA hospitals, including referral arrangements and post-discharge support, to arrange necessary follow-up services for patients after discharge. In addition, the new ambulatory care hospital will be equipped with in-patient beds for patients who cannot be discharged as planned, providing continuing care according to their conditions.
The Health Bureau and the HA are currently carrying out planning based on the condition of existing facilities and buildings within QEH, and the supply and demand for the proposed services, etc., so as to continue to make good use of the existing hospital buildings where feasible. These services will be rolled out in phases, giving due consideration to the relocation timetable of QEH services to KTH, the preparation progress of relevant facilities and the time required for the alteration works, etc. The HA will announce the details of the works project in due course.
Regarding public transport facilities, patients and their families may continue to use the public transport services currently serving QEH, including multiple FB and GMB routes, the MTR, taxis and Rehabus services, to travel to and from the new ambulatory care hospital. The HA will closely monitor the development progress of the new ambulatory care hospital, and maintain close liaison with the TD to continuously optimise the existing network to meet the public's commuting needs to and from the hospital.
Generally speaking, the number of parking spaces within hospitals is formulated in accordance with the Planning Department's Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines and the HA's internal operation guidelines. Parking spaces within hospitals are primarily designated for hospital operations. The HA understands hospital visitors' demand for parking spaces and will make appropriate deployment and arrangements during planning and operation, taking into consideration factors such as the hospital's physical constraints, geographical location, visitor flow and local public transport facilities. The new ambulatory care hospital is currently at the planning stage, and services are expected to be commissioned in phases. The HA will determine the number of parking spaces after considering the aforementioned factors to tie in with the operational needs of the hospital.
Regarding manpower deployment, the HA will achieve the long-term sustainable development of services through forward-looking manpower planning and training. The HA will flexibly consider adopting models such as part-time, locum, contract employment or outsourcing, based on actual operational needs to ensure the stability of human resources.
Regarding the suggestion of engaging private medical practitioners to provide public healthcare services, the Strategic Purchasing Office (SPO) will, in alignment with the Government's healthcare policies and strategic purchasing principles, collaborate with relevant departments and stakeholders to explore and consider various factors, including service demand, patient preference and affordability, potential clinical risks and service quality, private sector capacity and readiness, as well as the potential impact on exacerbating public healthcare brain drain and driving medical fee inflation in the private market. Based on actual needs, the SPO will assess the feasibility and necessity of delivering services through public-private partnership models at an appropriate juncture.
Ends/Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Issued at HKT 15:30
Issued at HKT 15:30
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