Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ16: Pilot project to purchase primary care services from private sector
Following is a question by the Hon Kwok Ka-ki and a written reply by the
Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today
(December 5):
Question:
The Government is planning to implement a pilot project in Tin Shui Wai North
under which the Hospital Authority (HA) will identify a selected group of
chronic patients who have a history of using the general out-patient clinic
service on a regular basis and whose conditions are stable, and offer them the
choice of receiving medical care from local private doctors participating in the
project. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether it will draw up eligibility criteria for participation in the
project by private doctors and patients;
(b) of the respective projected numbers of doctors and patients participating in
the project and expenditure required each year, and whether it will provide HA
with additional funding for the project;
(c) of the measures for encouraging doctors and patients to participate in the
project; and
(d) of the projected time for implementing and reviewing the project, as well as
the Government's considerations in deciding whether or not to extend the project
to other districts (e.g. Tin Shui Wai South and New Territories East).
Reply:
Madam President,
At present, public general out-patient service in Tin Shui Wai is mainly
provided by the Tin Shui Wai General Out-patient Clinic (GOPC) at Tin Shui Wai
South. To cater for the increase in local population and service demand, the
Administration has planned to build a GOPC at Tin Shui Wai North. The
Administration and the Hospital Authority (HA) have been exploring ways to
enhance the existing general out-patient service in Tin Shui Wai before the
completion of the new clinic. As mentioned in this year's Policy Agenda, the HA
plans to conduct a pilot project to purchase primary care services from the
private sector in Tin Shui Wai North for certain patient groups to enhance the
existing provision of public general out-patient services and explore the
feasibility of public-private partnership. The HA is drawing up the pilot scheme
and consulting local private doctors, and the details of the pilot scheme have
yet to be finalised.
My replies to each part of the questions are as follows:
(a) At present, the HA's initial idea is that patients residing in Tin Shui Wai
North who are suffering from specific chronic illnesses (such as hypertension,
diabetes, etc.) in need of long-term follow-up treatment at the GOPC in Tin Shui
Wai and whose conditions are stable would be offered the choice to participate
in the pilot project on a voluntary basis. These patients may seek medical
treatment from registered doctors practising in Tin Shui Wai participating in
the pilot project for treatment of their chronic conditions and episodic
illnesses.
(b) As the details of the pilot project are still being worked out by the HA and
participation in the project is on a voluntary basis, the HA is unable to
estimate the numbers of participating doctors and patients as well as the budget
of the project at this stage. To support the project, the HA will allocate
additional funding to its New Territories West Cluster, which is tasked to take
forward the project.
(c) Under the pilot project, patients are offered the choice to receive
continuous care from nearby private doctors and are only required to pay the
same fee as in public GOPC (CSSA recipients will be granted a fee waiver in
full) with the HA's subsidy. We believe that this project will probably be
attractive to both local patients and private doctors. The HA will consult local
private doctors when working out the details of the pilot project. It will also
develop measures to promote and publicise the project, brief patients on the
project, provide them with information, and provide local participating private
doctors with support.
(d) Subject to the views collected by the HA in the consultation exercise and
the success of reaching agreement with local private doctors on the service and
contract terms, our target is to implement the pilot project in mid-2008. The HA
plans to conduct an interim review and an overall review six months and one year
after the implementation of the project respectively in order to assess its
effectiveness, including the cost-effectiveness of providing general out-patient
service through public-private partnership. Subject to the findings of the
reviews, the Administration will examine the long-term policy on provision of
general out-patient service through public-private partnership.
Ends/Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Issued at HKT 12:53
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