Letters | Government should get it right. Optometry comes under primary care

Readers discuss health legislation, and why the Hong Kong government must prioritise the recovery of pandemic-era loans

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Optometry is a primary healthcare profession and patients should be able to seek primary care directly, without physician referrals. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 11:30am, 2 May 2025

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I am writing to provide input into the Supplementary Medical Professions (Amendment) Bill 2025, as a registered optometrist and former member of the Supplementary Medical Professions Council.

One of the bill’s proposals is to rename “supplementary medical professions” as “allied health professions” to align with the Hospital Authority’s practice. While I agree that “supplementary medical professions” is outdated and needs changing, the new term should be carefully deliberated.

The term “supplementary medical professions” was British in origin. The UK’s Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine was established in 1960. This was replaced by the Health Professions Council as early as 2002, then renamed the Health and Care Professions Council in 2010.

Additionally, in the United Kingdom, optometrists are not regulated by these councils; they have always been regulated by a separate General Optical Council.

Optometry is a primary healthcare profession and patients should be able to seek primary care directly, without physician referrals. I wrote to the Post regarding this on April 7, 1988 (“Optometry is a primary healthcare profession”).

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.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Letters | Government should get it right. Optometry comes under primary care

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Readers discuss health legislation, and why the Hong Kong government must prioritise the recovery of pandemic-era loans

Letters | Government should get it right. Optometry comes under primary care

Readers discuss health legislation, and why the Hong Kong government must prioritise the recovery of pandemic-era loans