Function comes first in hospital design

Concerns have arisen recently about a possible delay to preparatory work for the redevelopment of Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam.

It is opportune to look at the planning of such a decade-long project and how a delay undermines the dedication of frontline staff and the project planning team.

The government has committed billions of dollars to building new hospitals and redeveloping old ones.

Each will take at least a couple of years. How can one be sure the facilities built now will best suit service demands later, in terms of capacity, quality and technology adoption?

It is prudent to apply the concept of "function before form". Function includes the projected capacity required to meet future demands and a service model to ensure quality care. These should be determined before work starts.

The above can be addressed in a cluster clinical services plan setting out how a cluster provides services to the public. It delineates the role a hospital plays in and outside a cluster.

For instance, Queen Mary is the only hospital in the West Cluster providing emergency medical services, which is based on demand in Central and Western district. Given the citywide demand for liver transplants and the need to concentrate expertise, Queen Mary Hospital is also the only centre providing such services in Hong Kong.