Health Bureau responds to media enquiries on relocation of services of Queen Elizabeth Hospital and future use of King's Park site
In response to media enquiries on the relocation of the services of Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) and the future use of the King's Park site, a spokesman for the Health Bureau said today (March 19) that at this stage, the Government has no plan to use the King's Park site for purposes other than for healthcare. The Government will consider the future healthcare use and development plan of the King's Park site in the course of reviewing the Second Hospital Development Plan (HDP).
The spokesman said, "To dovetail with the implementation of the First HDP of the Hospital Authority (HA), the services of QEH will be relocated to New Acute Hospital (NAH) at Kai Tak Development Area gradually starting from early 2026. By then, most of the clinical services of QEH, including the accident and emergency services, will be relocated to NAH; while the Ambulatory Care Centre (Extension) of QEH will remain at the King's Park site."
Situated in Central Kowloon, NAH will form a service network with Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital, Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Wong Tai Sin Hospital in Kowloon City District; Kwong Wah Hospital, Kowloon Hospital and other hospitals in the Kowloon Central Cluster; as well as the Ambulatory Care Centre (Extension) of QEH to provide comprehensive healthcare services to the residents of the community.
The HA has been maintaining close liaison with the relevant departments, including the Transport Department (TD), on various support for NAH. Regarding public transport services, the TD will plan in advance the provision of appropriate public transport services having regard to the progress and anticipated completion date of the NAH project. The TD will also continue to closely monitor the development of the area, and adjust or strengthen the local public transport services based on actual circumstances, with a view to further enhancing the road traffic network in the vicinity of NAH having regard to the needs of the passengers, including patients seeking services at the hospital.
The spokesman added that the Health Bureau and the HA are reviewing the Second HDP by taking into account the future planning of Hong Kong (including the latest development of the Northern Metropolis), anticipated population distribution and projected healthcare service demand. After the relocation of clinical services from QEH to NAH, there will be room for development of healthcare services at the King's Park site. Given the convenient geographical location, it will be a feasible option to consider the expansion of the ambulatory care services at the King's Park site based on the demand of the population in Kowloon.
Guangdong and Hong Kong jointly promote construction standardisation to enhance competitiveness of GBA's construction industry
The Development Bureau (DEVB) and the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Guangdong Province (DHURDGP) today (June 2) signed the Cooperation Agreement on Guangdong-Hong Kong Construction Standardisation (Agreement) to establish a collaborative mechanism for construction standardisation between Guangdong and Hong Kong, co-ordinating and leading the formulation ofthe Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) construction standards.
The Agreement was signed by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, and the DirectorGeneral of the DHURDGP, Mr Guo Haoyu. Deputy Director of the Department of Standards and Norms of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Mr Fan Hongzhu, and the Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr Ricky Lau, also attended the signing ceremony.
Under the mechanism, the Guangdong and Hong Kong governments will jointly set up a working group and a technical committee, and invite experts from relevant sectors to form expert committees. The Building Technology Research Institute and the Guangdong Provincial Academy of Building Research Group Co, Ltd will serve as the secretariats for Hong Kong and Guangdong respectively. Both sides will jointly coordinate and steer the formulation of construction standards in designated areas, with a view to enhancing the competitiveness of the GBA's construction industry.
Ms Linn said that the DEVB is grateful to the Ministry of Housing and UrbanRural Development and the DHURDGP for supporting the work on Guangdong-Hong Kong construction standardisation. She noted that the outline of the National 15th Five-Year Plan supports Hong Kong in leveraging its strengths in professional services to help enterprises go global. The signing of the Agreement signifies a major milestone for Guangdong and Hong Kong in deepening institutional alignment and promoting the overall upgrading and mutual recognition of construction standards. Reflecting the national policy directions, it capitalises on Hong Kong’s international advantages to bridge national and international standards, thereby enhancing the global competitiveness of the country's construction industry.
Mr Guo said that the signing of the Agreement marks an important milestone in strengthening institutional alignment between the two sides. The DHURDGP and the DEVB have achieved fruitful results in co-operation in various construction areas. Going forward, both sides will continue to strengthen coordination on construction standards, jointly develop standards, progressively promote alignment of existing standards, and advance mutual recognition, thereby enhancing the global competitiveness of the construction industry of the GBA.
Mr Fan said that the signing of the Agreement is of significant importance to expanding institutional openness in construction standards. It supports the collaborative work on Guangdong-Hong Kong construction standardisation, aligns with national standards, promotes mutual recognition, and leverages Hong Kong's connection to international standards. Through standardisation, the two places can achieve deep integration in construction technologies, standards, and industries, thereby contributing to the national strategies on regional coordinated development and highlevel opening up.
Before the signing ceremony, Ms Linn, Mr Guo, Mr Fan and Mr Lau exchanged views on the latest developments of the construction industry in Guangdong and Hong Kong, as well as deepening cooperation between the two places and promoting high-quality development of the construction industry in the GBA. They also explored how construction standardisation could drive the collaborative development of the construction industry and advanced construction technologies, including optimising the application and collaboration of the Modular Integrated Construction method, with a view to jointly leading the GBA's construction industry onto the international stage.
Source: AI-found images
