Hong Kong to raise share of Medical Council lay members to 31%, set inquiry time
Proposal aims to foster more diverse participation, while time frame for complaints to be made public will also be set, health minister says
Hong Kong authorities plan to expand the medical watchdog, increase the proportion of lay members to one-third and cut the complaint-handling process from 42 to 29 months, while making the inquiry time frames public.
The proposed overhaul of the Medical Council unveiled on Friday also called for replacing the existing disciplinary system with four levels of penalties ranging from a reprimand to permanent removal from the register of doctors.
The previous option of probation should be scrapped, according to the government, as it left the public “unclear” whether it constituted punishment.
Doctors convicted of national security offences would also be immediately and permanently removed from the register, while those found guilty of serious violent, sexual or practice-related crimes would face instant disqualification.
Unveiling the proposed amendments to the Medical Registration Ordinance, Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said the reform aimed to foster more diverse participation in the Medical Council.
“This will ensure the relevant laws and professional regulatory system keep pace with the times, support the Medical Council in more effectively fulfilling its statutory functions and achieve its mission of ‘ensuring justice, maintaining professionalism and protecting the public’,” he said.