Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ19: Queen Mary Hospital redevelopment project

Following is a question by the Dr Hon Kenneth Chan and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, in the Legislative Council today (April 24):

Question:

The Government has approved the project of Hospital Authority (HA) to redevelop the Queen Mary Hospital (QMH) by phases. Yet, HA has not announced the concrete redevelopment arrangements and post-redevelopment service arrangements. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) whether it knows the latest progress of the redevelopment project; whether it can provide the details and schedule of the entire redevelopment project; if it cannot, of the reasons for that;

(b) whether it knows the details about the number of beds and the new services to be provided as well as the healthcare manpower requirements after the redevelopment of QMH; whether HA has adopted specific measures to ensure sufficient healthcare staff to provide services in QMH upon completion of the redevelopment project; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(c) of the latest estimated expenditure for the redevelopment project; given the comment of some healthcare staff of QMH that the earlier estimated amount of $7 billion might not suffice, whether there is room for the authorities to increase the budget; if there is, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(d) given the comments of some patients that the waiting time for specialist out-patient services, examinations with the aid of advanced medical apparatus and operations is currently very long in QMH, whether it knows if the waiting time for such services will be shortened upon completion of the redevelopment project; if so, of a breakdown of the anticipated figures by specialty and type of examination item and operation;

(e) whether it knows if the services provided by QMH will be reduced when the redevelopment works are in progress, and whether part of the service needs will be shared out by other public hospitals; if so, of the details; the measures to be taken by the Government and HA to alleviate the impact of the redevelopment project on the patients of QMH and the residents on Hong Kong Island as well;

(f) given that some concern groups on women's affairs have all along longed for the authorities to set up a one-stop support centre for victims of sexual violence, whether the authorities will consider taking the opportunity of the redevelopment of QMH to set up such a centre in the hospital, so as to strengthen the support for victims of sexual violence; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(g) whether it knows if HA will initiate public engagement activities in the course of drawing up plans for the redevelopment project and designing the buildings, so as to gauge the views of patients, healthcare personnel and other stakeholders; if HA will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

(a) and (c) In order to make the redeveloped Queen Mary Hospital (QMH) better serve its mode of service as a modernised medical centre, the Government and the Hospital Authority (HA) are modifying the outline of the redevelopment project, with a view to expediting the progress of the redevelopment works and shortening the time required to complete the entire project.

The Architectural Services Department is carrying out a technical feasibility study on the modified project and it is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2013. By then, specific project details and a working schedule could be confirmed. Since the technical feasibility study on the redevelopment project is still in progress, the estimates of expenditure in this respect are not available at this stage.

(b), (d) and (e) The QMH redevelopment project aims to renew the hospital equipment and turn the hospital into a modernised medical centre with additional space and floor area to meet operational needs, cope with the demand of service development and facilitate research and education development so as to further enhance its function and role as an academic medical centre. The redeveloped QMH will be more capable of providing patient-oriented, inter-departmental and cross-disciplined quality services, and will provide more advanced, more appropriate and more efficient healthcare service for the public.

The details of the redevelopment project are yet to be finalised and the completion of construction works will take time. QMH will, according to the timeframe of the redevelopment project, discuss with various departments as and when appropriate the service and operational demand and consider in details the service items to be provided by individual units upon completion of the redevelopment project, so as to formulate a detailed operational plan, including the number of hospital beds and the manpower requirements of healthcare staff, etc. To address the shortage of overall healthcare manpower , the Food and Health Bureau has established a high level Steering Committee to conduct a strategic review on healthcare manpower planning and professional development in Hong Kong. The Steering Committee is studying the manpower demand of various healthcare professions across the board. Having regard to the findings of the strategic review, it will formulate recommendations on ways to cope with the anticipated demand for healthcare manpower, strengthen professional training and facilitate professional development, so as to help us plan for the long-term supply of high-quality healthcare professionals to ensure the sustained and healthy development of Hong Kong's healthcare system.

Since QMH will be redeveloped in situ, the project will be carried out on the principle that clinical services would not be affected as far as possible. Any disruption of services, if unavoidable, will be kept to a minimum through corresponding arrangements by the hospital. If decantation service is required, QMH will take the initiative to negotiate with other hospitals in the Hong Kong West Cluster so as to decant some services to other hospitals and provide suitable space for departments being affected by the redevelopment project.

(f) The Social Welfare Department (SWD) set up the Multi-purpose Crisis Intervention and Support Centre in 2007 to provide one-stop crisis intervention and support services, including short-term accommodation, to victims of sexual violence and their family members through a service model involving designated social workers and multi-disciplinary co-operation. The Centre has been operating effectively. SWD has no plan to set up another support centre for victims of sexual violence in QMH or any particular hospital.

(g) QMH will collect views from its staff and report the work progress on a regular basis through different channels such as the staff consultative committee, seminars, website and newsletter. It will also maintain regular communication with various stakeholders within the hospital. As for the outside parties, QMH will regularly report to them the project plan and work progress, collect their views and timely address their concerns through the Central and Western District Council, the Southern District Council, patients' groups and neighbouring residents' organisations, etc.


Ends/Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Issued at HKT 12:57

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