There are 12 private hospitals and 2,146 registered private clinics in Hong Kong (Electronic Health Record Registration Office, 2019) providing hospital service, primary care, and a broad range of specialist services. As of 31^st of March 2019, a total of 4,657 hospital beds were provided in private hospitals (Department of Health, 2019b). The Department of Health regulates all private hospitals and clinics under the Medical Clinics Ordinance (Cap.343) on their compliance with relevant regulations by conducting inspections and handling medical incidents and complaints lodged by the public. All Western and Chinese medicine practitioners have to register with the Medical Council of Hong Kong and the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong, respectively (Hospital Authority, 2019a).

Private sector dominates the provision of primary care in Hong Kong, accounting for about 70% of all medical and dental visits (Food and Health Bureau, 2017b). The proportion of the population making use of doctor consultations, hospitalisation, and dental consultations in the private sector in 2016/17 is summarised in Table 2.2 above. Most of the doctor consultations (67.6%), which consisted of 49.5% and 18.1% of Western and Chinese medicine practitioner use respectively, occurred in the private sector. In contrast, only 30.7% of hospitalisation were handled by the private sector (Census and Statistics Department, 2017, December).

References:

Census and Statistics Department. (2017, December). Thematic Household Survey Report No. 63. Retrieved from https://www.statistics.gov.hk/pub/B11302632017XXXXB0100.pdf

Department of Health. (2019b). Health Facts of Hong Kong 2019 Edition.  Retrieved from https://www.dh.gov.hk/english/statistics/statistics_hs/files/Health_Statistics_pamphlet_E.pdf.

Electronic Health Record Registration Office. (2019). Electronic Health Record Sharing Sysem: List of Registered Healthcare Provider – Private Clinics.  Retrieved 11 October, 2019, from Electronic Health Record Registration Office, HKSAR

Food and Health Bureau. (2017b). Report of the Strategic Review on Healthcare Manpower Planning and Professional Development.

Hospital Authority. (2019a). Clusters, Hospitals & Institutions. Retrieved from http://www.ha.org.hk/visitor/ha_visitor_index.asp?Content_ID=10084&Lang=ENG&Dimension=100&Parent_ID=100421q