'Arbiter' needed, doctors' chief says

The government should set up an independent body to settle disputes arising from a partnership under which some public hospital patients are given subsidies for treatment at private clinics, the Medical Association president says.

The new organisation should act as an "arbiter" to determine how government funding is split between the Hospital Authority and private doctors, Dr Louis Shih Tai-cho said.

The partnership was introduced as part of a government push to utilise the private sector to ease a growing health care burden. The private sector has 60 per cent of the city's doctors yet treats just 10 per cent of patients.

Shih's comments came after a cool response from private doctors since the April launch of the first phase of the partnership, under which hypertension patients can receive treatment at private clinics.

Just 80 of the 400 private doctors in the three districts covered have agreed to join the scheme, under which they are paid HK$270 per consultation.

"There should be a better system to handle the project," said Shih.