Latest news with #PrivateHealthcareFacilitiesOrdinance
South China Morning Post
21-05-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong private clinics must apply for licence from October, amid rules revamp
Operators of clinics in Hong Kong will have to apply for a licence or an exemption letter from October 13 as part of the government's push to tighten regulations on private healthcare facilities The Health Bureau said on Wednesday that the new rules would be gazetted on Friday. They will then be presented to the Legislative Council on Wednesday next week for 'negative vetting', a process that allows laws to come into force before authorities receive the green light from lawmakers. The changes fall under the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance, which was passed in 2018 but enacted in phases, starting with hospitals in 2019 and day procedure centres in 2020. A licence will be required to operate a clinic under the ordinance, which stipulates specific requirements for areas such as staffing and equipment. Codes of practice related to clinic operations will also be gazetted on Friday and come into effect on October 13. Clinics that opened on or before November 30, 2018, can apply for a licence between October and April 13 next year.
South China Morning Post
06-05-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong to review regulations after abrupt closure of Alliance Medical Group
Hong Kong's leader has vowed to better protect consumer rights by studying the possibility of introducing a statutory cooling off period or limiting the maximum duration of prepaid healthcare contracts, after the abrupt closure of a medical group. Advertisement Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday also pledged to pursue legal options and hold to account the relevant people behind Alliance Medical Group, whose sudden closure prompted over 1,400 complaints to police and the Customs and Excise Department, and more than 2,000 to the city's consumer watchdog so far. The government set up an interdepartmental task force to handle the matter last week after customers discovered the group's two clinics in Tsim Sha Tsui and Sha Tin had closed without warning. The company offered prepaid vaccination packages for children, among other services. Lee said his administration would review current regulations, in light of the incident. 'Currently, the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance regulates the facilities and safety of healthcare services, while prepaid consumption is governed by contracts,' he said ahead of his weekly meeting with advisers in the Executive Council on Tuesday. Advertisement 'The government will examine whether the existing regulations are adequate, particularly for prepaid consumption, and consider various proposals, including the introduction of a statutory cooling off period, limiting the maximum contract period.'
RTHK
05-05-2025
- Health
- RTHK
'Private healthcare facilities law isn't clear enough'
'Private healthcare facilities law isn't clear enough' The Tsim Sha Tsui and Sha Tin branches of private clinic network Alliance Medical Group are suspected to have shut down. Photo: RTHK A medical sector lawmaker on Monday said the current legislation on private healthcare facilities is not clear enough. David Lam made the comment after the Tsim Sha Tsui and Sha Tin branches of private clinic network Alliance Medical Group – which specialises in body checks and inoculations – were suspected to have abruptly shut down last Friday. As of 5pm on Sunday, Police and Customs received 1,356 complaints about the group. The Consumer Council said it received 600 such complaints, and that the highest amount involved in a single case exceeded HK$23,000. Speaking on an RTHK radio programme, Lam pointed out that there is a loophole in the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance. "If a person opens a centre and a few doctors are there a few days each week, then it's regulated under the law. But if the centre offers only vaccination services, with nurses or trained personnel to offer the jabs, then it's not regulated by the law," he said. "Of course, you can argue whether or not vaccination is a medical act and whether it should be done by doctors or registered nurses, but in Hong Kong, there's no clear definition on this." Lam, who also chairs Legco's Panel on Health Services, called on parents who are affected by the suspected closures to bring their children to government Maternal and Child Health Centres or private doctors instead. Another lawmaker Chan Hoi-yan revealed on the same show that a private hospital has yet to receive any payments since the start of the year for running tests – worth hundreds of thousands of dollars – at Alliance Medical Group clinics. The medical firm had submitted patient samples to the hospital as of the end of last month, she said, adding those who conducted body checks there should contact their doctors as soon as possible. The government has set up an interdepartmental team to look into the matter.
RTHK
05-05-2025
- Health
- RTHK
'Private healthcare facilities law isn't clear enough'
'Private healthcare facilities law isn't clear enough' The Tsim Sha Tsui and Sha Tin branches of private clinic network Alliance Medical Group are suspected to have shut down. Photo: RTHK A medical sector lawmaker on Monday said the current legislation on private healthcare facilities is not clear enough. David Lam made the comment after the Tsim Sha Tsui and Sha Tin branches of private clinic network Alliance Medical Group – which specialises in body checks and inoculations – were suspected to have abruptly shut down last Friday. As of 5pmSunday, Police and Customs received 1,356 complaints about the group. The Consumer Council said it received 600 such complaints, and that the highest amount involved in a single case exceeded HK$23,000. Speaking on an RTHK radio programme, Lam pointed out that there is a loophole in the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance. "If a person opens a centre and a few doctors are there a few days each week, then it's regulated under the law. But if the centre offers only vaccination services, with nurses or trained personnel to offer the jabs, then it's not regulated by the law," he said. "Of course, you can argue whether or not vaccination is a medical act and whether it should be done by doctors or registered nurses, but in Hong Kong, there's no clear definition on this." Lam, who also chairs Legco's Panel on Health Services, called on parents who are affected by the suspected closures to bring their children to government Maternal and Child Health Centres or private doctors instead. Another lawmaker Chan Hoi-yan revealed on the same show that a private hospital has yet to receive any payments since the start of the year for running tests – worth hundreds of thousands of dollars – at Alliance Medical Group clinics. The medical firm had submitted patient samples to the hospital as of the end of last month, she said, adding those who conducted body checks there should contact their doctors as soon as possible. The government has set up an interdepartmental team to look into the matter.
RTHK
02-05-2025
- Health
- RTHK
Medical centre allegedly folds, drawing 157 complaints
Medical centre allegedly folds, drawing 157 complaints Alliance Medical Group's Tsim Sha Tsui outlet was shut on Friday. Photo: RTHK A medical company specialising in body checks and inoculations is suspected to have ceased operations, with the Consumer Council receiving 157 complaints so far over HK$1 million worth of unfulfilled contracts. Both of Alliance Medical Group's outlets in Tsim Sha Tsui and Sha Tin were shut on Friday, catching some customers who made appointments by surprise. Many said they came to try their luck after no one picked up the phone. Among those who showed up at the Tsim Sha Tsui clinic was Mr Zhou, a visitor from Shenzhen who booked slot for his second HPV vaccine. "When I made the appointment in April, they didn't inform me that they would cease operations." Ms Dan, also from Shenzhen, was meant to get her third and final HPV shot on Friday. She described the phone conversation with a staff member last week as "completely normal", with no signs of irregularities. "Each person paid around HK$3,500... I'll file a report in Shenzhen and continue fighting for my rights," she told RTHK. "If they've gone out of business, then they should either arrange for us to get the shots at another location or refund our money." Another customer, Ms Kwok, revealed that staff members in a WhatsApp chat group have not responded to customer queries since Tuesday. The Department of Health said the Alliance Medical Group is not a licensed operator under the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance. A spokesman said authorities are now actively taking forward the regulatory work on clinics, with a target to accept applications from the fourth quarter of this year.
