Private doctor plan 'impractical'

A plan to transfer patients at public hospitals to private doctors may be impractical due to the difference in charges, the new lawmaker for the medical sector said yesterday.

The Hospital Authority plans to bring in private doctors to treat patients at 10 public hospitals to attract patients to use their services.

However, Dr Lo Wing-lok said patients were used to using public hospital services and were unlikely to change their habits easily. Speaking after an RTHK programme, Dr Lo said it was well known that Hospital Authority charges were low, with government subsidies of up to 90 per cent. Patients would not be able to enjoy subsidies if they saw private doctors, he said.

Public hospital clinics charge $44 per consultation. Private doctors charge an average of $200 for each consultation.

The authority says the plan is aimed at training family doctors in public hospitals.

Dr Lo said he felt the quality of health services would be affected seriously if there was no consensus in the community on health care reform. 'If there is no consensus, there will be no change. The Hospital Authority will operate as it is now,' Dr Lo said. 'I think there will be a point where the resources that the authority has will not be able to meet demand. The quality of the service will deteriorate and complaints will increase.'