appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Sammy Heung

The senior management of Hong Kong’s public hospitals will be held accountable for medical incidents, in addition to frontline staff, the Hospital Authority has said, as part of measures to ensure patient safety.
The authority said on Thursday that the power to appoint and dismiss staff would be assigned to hospital chief executives and department heads instead of headquarters, streamlining the process for replacing underperforming employees.
“This means if a manager identifies an underperforming colleague within their team, they can replace them,” Hospital Authority chairman Henry Fan Hung-ling said.
“Those who fail to meet certain standards will be required to join a performance improvement programme for no more than three months.
“If they do not improve to an acceptable level within three months, we will take appropriate disciplinary action based on the situation.”
Patient safety would be listed as one of the critical assessment criteria in staff appraisals, he said.
Fan also said the authority had implemented all of the 31 recommendations proposed last year to improve services after a slew of medical incidents.
Public hospitals have recorded a series of medical blunders in recent years, with the health minister pointing to a “systemic issue” and instructing the authority to conduct a comprehensive review.

Fan said that when medical incidents happened in the past, there was uncertainty among staff as to who was accountable for patient safety.
“For example, some department heads may think he is not responsible for patient safety, and it is the job of the patient safety manager,” he said.
“Now we can make it clear to everyone that the ultimate accountability lies with the hospital chief executives and the department heads.”
He also said that in the past, replacing an underperforming doctor involved complicated procedures, such as requiring the authority’s headquarters to be notified and arranging for another department to take the staff in.
Tony Ko Pat-sing, the authority’s chief executive, said the body would set up committees to conduct comprehensive assessments of senior management officers’ performance.
“In our appraisals … we will add patient safety as an independent core assessment item so that we can clearly assess their performance in this crucial area,” he said.
“How colleagues handle patient safety incidents will be recorded and reflected in their regular performance records.”
Fan said employees would be given the right to apply for an appeal if they disagreed with the appraisals.
Another measure would focus on improving the authority’s rewards and penalties system, such as potentially adding an extra salary point for strong performers, he said.
Fan said the authority would also establish various levels of penalties such as verbal or written warnings, a performance improvement programme, postponing or suspending pay increments, setting limits to promotions, suspending senior management appointments and dismissal.
He said health officials had also proposed the concept of “more contribution, more gain” to further align job performance with the system’s pay structure, adding that they would conduct consultation with employees.


Doctor boyfriend of sacked Hong Kong medical intern also fired for misconduct

Hongkongers aim for self-sufficiency in old age, but survey finds ‘clear readiness gap’

Hong Kong parents in welfare custody case say 2-month-old baby sick in hospital

No more painful biopsies? How a new blood test will transform cancer detection in Hong Kong

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Hong Kong to hold public hospital executives accountable for medical incidents

Public hospitals have recorded a series of medical blunders in recent years. Photo: Felix Wong

Another measure will focus on improving the Hospital Authority’s rewards and penalties system, such as potentially adding an extra salary point for strong performers, an official has said. Photo: Edmond So

Can Hong Kong convince private hospitals to be clear and upfront with fees?

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Only half of the city’s private hospitals provide information online for knee replacement surgery packages, with prices ranging from HK$88,000 to about HK$330,000 for one knee. Photo: Shutterstock

At Gleneagles Hospital, the cost of a urine analysis can vary according to which room a patient is staying in. Photo: Martin Chan

Dr Joseph Chan said it would not be difficult for doctors to give a written estimate of charges before a medical procedure. Photo: Nora Tam

Dr Anthony Lee has said it is fair to expect hospitals to explain to patients why their bill was higher than expected, but adds that it will be “too much hassle”. Photo: Sun Yeung

Hong Kong public hospitals to step up testing for rare rotavirus: disease expert

Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection has confirmed that there had in fact been no E coli outbreak in the oncology department of Princess Margaret Hospital in February. Photo: May Tse

Infectious diseases expert Yuen Kwok-yung says he believes there was a low-level, mild outbreak of group C rotavirus in the community in February. Photo: May Tse

Hong Kong student with TB forced into medical isolation after declining treatment

The patient has been taken to Princess Margaret Hospital for isolation and treatment. Photo: May Tse

News

Hong Kong

Health & Environment

Health authorities also say hospital chief executives, department heads to have power to appoint and dismiss staff instead of headquarters


Health authorities also say hospital chief executives, department heads to have power to appoint and dismiss staff instead of headquarters.


Hong Kong society

Tony Ko Pat-sing

Hong Kong to hold public hospital executives accountable for medical incidents

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Health authorities also say hospital chief executives, department heads to have power to appoint and dismiss staff instead of headquarters

Health authorities also say hospital chief executives, department heads to have power to appoint and dismiss staff instead of headquarters