Whilst your report of the Bauhinia Foundation accurately reflects the options proposed for introducing new ways to increase funding for our health services ('Think-tank floats levy of up to 5pc for health funds', June 7), it fails to highlight another key tenet of the document - namely the need to improve primary health care in Hong Kong.

International research has shown that best health outcomes and best value for money, are delivered by a strong and well-organised primary care system in which teams of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other ancillary medical and social care staff work together in community settings. The focus of these teams is not only to deal with immediate symptoms but to ensure evidence-based prevention, for example, by giving support to give up smoking, as well as ongoing care for long-term diseases which are becoming increasingly common amongst Hong Kong's population.

With this growing burden of non communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, we need a system of primary health care which offers individuals advice about living healthier lives as well as a system which provides continuing community based support to maintain quality of life throughout our increasingly long lives. Currently, as the report points out, primary health care in Hong Kong is not well organised and services tend to be episodic and treatment-oriented, lacking in continuity and sparse in prevention. The population also tends to focus more on finding quick fixes than on prevention or adopting healthy lifestyles.