Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ16: Training for Hospital Authority nurses
Following is a question by Dr Hon Joseph Lee and a written reply by the
Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today
(March 3):
Question:
At present, the Hospital Authority (HA) makes an annual allocation for staff
training and development, a part of which was used for training nurses. In this
connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows, in each of
the past three years:
(a) the amount of expenditure incurred by HA on training nurses, the percentage
of such amount in the total allocation for training and development, and the
number of nurses who received training, together with a breakdown by hospital
cluster, rank and training hour;
(b) the number of training courses for nurses which were subsidised by HA,
together with a breakdown by course type and number of places; whether the
authorities will consider subsidising more training courses of different types
as well as increasing the number of subsidised places, so as to enable more
nurses to upgrade themselves and enhance the quality of healthcare services in a
sustainable manner; and
(c) the number of applications for study leave submitted by nurses of public
hospitals under HA for receiving training and, among such applications, the
respective numbers of those approved and rejected, and the reasons for rejecting
some applications; how the authorities deploy its manpower to facilitate nurses'
participation in different training courses?
Reply:
President,
(a) In 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 (the first six months as at September 30,
2009), the total expenditures of the Hospital Authority (HA) on providing
subsidies directly to its staff for participating in trainings or seminars
organised by external organisations (excluding external training courses
centrally coordinated and arranged by the HA Head Office and training courses
organised internally by HA mentioned in part (b) of the reply) as well as the
amount and percentage of the expenditure used to subsidise nurses are shown at
Annex 1.
In these three years, the number of nurse attendances participating in these
trainings with subsidies were 6,218, 7,066 and 1,075 respectively. A detailed
breakdown of the figures by cluster and rank is at Annex 2. HA does not have
information on the training hours.
(b) HA has all along attached importance to the training of nurses and
encouraged them to pursue continuous learning with a view to enhancing their
professional knowledge and competence on a continuous basis. HA has been
providing training to nurses through various channels. Each year, the HA Head
Office provides subsidies to servicing registered nurses for taking bachelor or
master degree programmes in nursing provided by local or overseas institutions.
Subsidies are also provided to enrolled nurses for attending programmes for
conversion of enrolled nurse to registered nurse. In 2007-08 and 2008-09, HA
subsidised about 340 nurses to take these courses each year with an annual
expenditure of about $1.72 million. In 2009-10, the number of nurses subsidised
to take these courses increases to 390 with an estimated expenditure of about
$1.97 million.
Moreover, to enhance the quality of its nursing services and promote the
professional development of nurses, HA has sponsored 44 nurses to attend
specialist training courses overseas in 2009-10 with an expenditure of $2.55
million. In the meantime, to strengthen the clinical skills of newly graduated
nurses, HA has also set up a new simulation laboratory on emergency clinical
situation in 2009-10 to provide training to 342 newly graduated nurses with an
expenditure of $1.5 million.
Furthermore, the Institute of Advanced Nursing Studies of HA also provides
professional competence courses and specialty nursing certificate courses to
nurses. This is to encourage nurses to pursue continuous learning and enhance
the quality of nursing care. The number of nurse attendances participating in
these training courses in 2007-08 and 2008-09 were 8,089 and 9,584 respectively.
In 2009-10, in the light of the manpower deployment arrangements made in
response to the human swine influenza epidemic, HA has ceased providing most of
the training courses in May and June 2009. The number of nurse attendances
participating in these training courses for the full year of 2009-10 is
estimated at 9,000.
The HA Head Office and hospitals also organise various in-service non-clinical
training courses (such as management courses) for their staff. In 2007-08 and
2008-09, the number of nurse attendances participating in these courses were
8,554 and 12,320 respectively. In 2009-10, in the light of the manpower
deployment arrangements made in response to the human swine influenza epidemic,
HA has ceased providing most of the training courses in May and June 2009. The
number of nurse attendances participating in these training courses for the full
year of 2009-10 is estimated at 9,500.
HA will continue to keep in view the training needs of nurses and review from
time to time the content of the training programmes and the number of subsidy
places, and make appropriate adjustments in the light of the circumstances.
(c) In 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 (as at December 31, 2009), the number of
days of study leave approved for nurses of HA were 51,755, 43,842 and 30,456
respectively. HA does not have the information on the applications for study
leave by nurses which were not approved. To facilitate the arrangements for
nurses to receive training, various departments and wards of HA make appropriate
arrangements in advance in drawing up the duty rosters so as to facilitate the
participation of nurses in trainings as far as possible.
Ends/Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Issued at HKT 15:20
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