bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

additionalInfoBoxes

quizIds

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Elizabeth Cheung

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.
A provisional licence may be issued by the Department of Health to allow operators to have more time to make changes, such as modifying the accommodation layout.
Those that started operating after the 2018 date can apply for a full licence from October.
To continue operating, small private clinics that have a maximum of five doctors or dentists must ask for a letter to exempt them from obtaining a licence.
Undersecretary for Health Libby Lee Ha-yun said on Wednesday that the laws related to clinic regulations would begin to be officially enforced about 12 months after applications opened on October 13.
“Hong Kong has different clinics, big and small. We need to give the sector time to submit documents,” Lee told lawmakers.

According to the rules, clinics are defined as premises that are not part of a hospital or a day procedure centre and provide medical services or minor procedures that do not require patients to stay overnight.
Calls for tighter rules on private healthcare facilities came in 2012 following the death of a 46-year-old woman after she received high-risk experimental cell therapy injections at a beauty centre.
Other botched beauty treatments have attracted attention from authorities in recent years, with some clients suffering serious health problems.
After the licensing regime related to clinics comes into force, authorities also plan to ban unlicensed facilities from using specific titles or descriptions that might mislead clients into believing that they will receive medical services.
Some of those terms, already listed in the ordinance though not yet enforced, include “clinic”, “day procedure centre”, “healthcare”, “therapeutic” and “treatment”.
Currently, it is not uncommon to see such descriptions used in non-medical settings, such as claims from gyms offering “targeted pain treatment” or treatment for various pains through stretch therapy.
Concerns about the protection of consumers who prepaid for services also emerged earlier this month with the suspected closure of the clinic chain Alliance Medical Group.
Authorities said the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau had already started a study looking into strategies for strengthening the protection of consumers’ rights and interests.
They added that the study would take into account factors such as the current economic environment and the operating situation of the relevant industries.


When Hong Kong got its first care home for mentally ill  children

‘Space oil’ linked to possible fatal condition among Hong Kong teen users: study

Hong Kong to launch pilot project to identify at-risk carers in coming weeks

Latest patient safety prescription for Hong Kong hospitals is much needed

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Hong Kong private clinics must apply for licence from October, amid rules revamp

The changes are part of 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. Photo: SCMP

According to the rules, clinics are defined as premises that are not part of a hospital or a day procedure centre and provide medical services or minor procedures that do not require patients to stay overnight. Photo: Sam Tsang

Call to toughen rules for reporting incidents at private hospitals in Hong Kong

St Teresa’s Hospital, a private facility in Kowloon City, confirmed to the Post the air-conditioning system for its operating theatres broke down on July 31 of last year. Photo: Edward Wong

Water drips from an arm of a surgical light in the hospital. Photo: Dr Liu Chi-leung

Alex Lam chairman of Hong Kong Patients’ Voices, agreed authorities should have been alerted to the incident and the current code of practice should be revised. Photo: Winson Wong

458 complaints involving HK$2.7 million filed with Hong Kong watchdog over clinic

The Alliance Medical Group’s clinic in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Jelly Tse

The company’s clinics were popular with parents for its vaccination packages for children. Photo: Jelly Tse

News

Hong Kong

Health & Environment

‘Negative vetting’ process will see licensing regime gazetted on Friday, following earlier moves targeting hospitals and day procedure centres


‘Negative vetting’ process will see licensing regime gazetted on Friday, following earlier moves targeting hospitals and day procedure centres.


Consumer protection in Hong Kong

Legislative Council of Hong Kong