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Policy Address

Primary Healthcare

82. We will publish the Primary Healthcare Blueprint within this year. With District Health Centres (DHCs) as the hub for co-ordinating primary healthcare services for our people, we will partner with the private healthcare sector to promote the concept of "family doctor for all" and collaborate with various healthcare professions to provide comprehensive, sustainable and people-centric primary healthcare services in the community. We will:

  1. establish the Primary Healthcare Authority for co-ordination and governance of primary healthcare service provision across the public and private sectors. It will also be responsible for setting standards and devising quality assurance mechanisms;

  2. launch the three-year Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme from next year, under which the DHCs will refer people who are screened to be at high risk of hypertension or diabetes mellitus to the private sector for further examination. Those who are diagnosed with the diseases will receive treatment provided by family doctors and allied health professional teams to help them better manage their chronic diseases and prevent complications. The Government will subsidise about half of the examination and treatment fees. A Strategic Purchasing Office will also be set up to co-ordinate primary healthcare services provided through the private healthcare sector;

  3. enhance the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme by allowing the shared use of vouchers between spouses and extending the coverage to include primary healthcare services provided by audiologists, dietitians, clinical psychologists and speech therapists under the Accredited Registers Scheme for Healthcare Professions, as well as medical equipment (such as hearing aids) provided by them upon professional assessment. In addition, we will roll out a three-year pilot scheme to encourage the more effective use of primary healthcare services by the elderly, increasing the annual voucher from the existing $2,000 to $2,500. The additional $500 will be allotted automatically to the elderly persons' accounts upon their claiming at least $1,000 from the voucher for designated primary healthcare services such as disease prevention and health management. The additional amount should also be used for those designated services;

  4. enhance the role of Chinese medicine (CM) by increasing the annual quota of government-subsidised CM out-patient service by one-third from 600 000 to 800 000, and strengthening the CM services of DHCs;

  5. better utilise multi-disciplinary healthcare services, including amendment of the Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance to facilitate direct access of patients to services provided by physiotherapists and occupational therapists without a doctor's referral;

  6. review dental services by setting up a working group on the development of dental care services to review the existing services and to advise the Government on enhancing the service scope and delivery mode; and

  7. rationalise healthcare premises and facilities in the community by setting up a Steering Committee on Healthcare Facilities Planning and Development to take forward relevant development and redevelopment projects.