HA statement on violations of patient privacy on improper social media post
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
In response to a series of recent incidents involving staff working in public hospitals posting clinical images or patient information on social media, the Hospital Authority (HA) spokesperson issued the following statement:
The Hospital Authority (HA), Photo by Bastille Post
As a provider of public healthcare services, the HA requires all staff to strictly adhere to professional codes of conduct, uphold integrity, and observe the principle of safeguarding patients' rights and privacy. Leakage of patient privacy by staff in any form will not be tolerated. The HA deeply regrets any suspected disregard for patient privacy by its staff.
Upon receiving a public complaint on April 10, Princess Margaret Hospital immediately reviewed the incident and conducted investigation. The staff member involved is a medical intern in the Department of Medicine and Geriatrics at Princess Margaret Hospital. The HA has discussed the matter with the university to which the intern belongs. The intern's duties will be suspended in the interim, and the individual will be temporarily on leave starting tomorrow.
The HA has consistently provided training on patient privacy protection for its staff and medical interns. Medical students and interns are also required to complete patient privacy training and sign a confidentiality agreement before being granted access to the Clinical Management System.
Should any staff member be found to have violated the regulations, the HA will strictly follow up the matter and handle it in accordance with established personnel procedures. Case concerned will be referred to the Medical Council where necessary, in order to demonstrate the HA's commitment to protecting patient privacy.
The HA expressed its serious concern that healthcare staff, when using social media, must at all times be guided by a spirit of professionalism, and above all, place the best interests of patients as their foremost consideration, thereby upholding their responsibility to protect patient privacy.
Photo source: reference image
Secretary for Health meets with delegation of Health Commission of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, today (May 13) met with a delegation led by Deputy Director of the Health Commission of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Mr Li Junjun, who is visiting Hong Kong to attend the Hospital Authority (HA) Convention 2026, to explore deepening healthcare co-operation between the two places.
At the meeting, both sides had in-depth discussions on promoting healthcare talent exchanges and advancing the development of Chinese medicine (CM), as well as sharing experiences in developing cross-boundary healthcare co-operation.
Professor Lo said, "In recent years, Guangxi and Hong Kong have launched co-operation projects in areas such as healthcare talent exchanges and the modernisation of CM, laying a solid foundation for the collaborative development in the healthcare field between the two places. We will continue to uphold the principle of complementarity and mutual benefits to promote in-depth exchanges and mutual learning of experiences between the two places."
The HA Convention is a major annual event of the healthcare sector, bringing together medical experts, academics and professionals from the Mainland and overseas, as well as government officials in charge of healthcare policies from various regions, to engage in extensive exchanges and to share their knowledge and experience in their respective fields, as well as to explore opportunities for healthcare co-operation. This year's HA Convention was held for three days and concluded today.
Another flagship event of the International Healthcare Week, the Asia Summit on Global Health (ASGH), themed "Fuelling Healthcare Breakthroughs", also concluded yesterday (May 12). This year's ASGH brought together leaders from political, business, academic, and investment sectors from across the globe. Through in-depth exchanges and dialogue, they shared valuable insights and actively explored a wide range of co-operation opportunities.
Secretary for Health meets with delegation of Health Commission of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Secretary for Health meets with delegation of Health Commission of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
