Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ15: Recruitment of doctors and nurses by HA
Following is a question by the Hon Michael Mak and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, in the Legislative Council today (April 21):
Question:
It is learnt that the Hospital Authority ("HA") is going to recruit a batch of doctors and nurses in this financial year to fill vacancies and maintain its level of services. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows:
(a) which departments of public hospitals are now suffering from the most severe shortage of nursing grade staff;
(b) of the numbers of each rank of doctors and nurses to be recruited by HA, as well as their remuneration and conditions of service; and
(c) whether HA plans to recruit staff of the allied health grades in this financial year; if so, of a breakdown by grades and ranks of the number, remuneration and conditions of service of these staff; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
Madam President:
(a) It is mainly the acute medical departments in public hospitals that require reinforcement of nursing grade staff.
(b) & (c) In 2004-05, the Hospital Authority (HA) is planning to recruit the following staff at the entry ranks on contract terms -
- 300 resident doctors to receive specialist training in various clinical specialties or training (e.g. in family medicine) that will enable their future practice at the primary care level;
- 400 registered nurses; and
- 50 allied health professionals.
The salary range and benefits of the above positions are as follows:
|
Rank |
Salary Range |
Other Benefits |
|
Resident Doctors |
$34,320 - $55,993 |
Monthly allowance, contract gratuity, mandatory provident fund, annual leave, paid public / statutory holidays, death & disability benefit, etc. in accordance with the prevailing terms and conditions of employment for HA��s new recruits |
|
Registered Nurse |
$17,643 - $31,423 |
|
|
Registered Nurse (Psychiatry) |
$19,463 - $32,900
|
|
|
Medical Laboratory Technician II |
$11,495 - $26,168 |
|
|
Occupational Therapist II/ Physiotherapist II / Radiographer II |
$16,633 - $30,053
|
|
|
Assistant Social Welfare Officer / Dietician / Speech Therapist |
$17,643 - $45,375
|
|
|
Clinical Psychologist |
$27,308 - $71,845 |
|
|
Resident Pharmacist |
$24,833 - $28,700 |
Subject to the actual staff wastage in the various allied health grades over the next twelve months, the preliminary projection of the HA is that the 50 allied health professional positions to be recruited in 2004-05 will be distributed among the various allied health grades as follows -
Allied Health Rank Estimated number of new
recruitments in 2004-05
------------------ ------------------------
Medical Laboratory Technician II 11
Diagnostic Radiographer II 7
Occupational Therapist II 5
Physiotherapist II 7
Pharmacist / Dispenser 12
Others 8
Total 50
Ends/Wednesday, April 21, 2004
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