Doctors’ leader cautious over more lay members on Medical Council

The government announced its plan to add four additional lay members to the Medical Council, the city’s doctors watchdog, in an attempt to improve its mechanism for complaint investigation and disciplinary inquiry.

The council that licences and disciplines doctors has long been criticised for being “a closed shop” and overly protective towards doctors.

Currently, only four people from the 28-strong council are not doctors. The new move will bring the total number of lay members on the council to eight.

A government source believed the move will speed up its handling of public complaints against medical practitioners.

Dr Pierre Chan Pui-yin, president of the Public Doctors’ Association, said he is still consulting fellow doctors on their opinions of the change.

“We agree that there is a need to increase the transparency and credibility of the council so that public confidence can be restored,” Chan said.