Primary Healthcare Commission to Enhance Elderly Healthcare Services with New Integration Model in Phases

Primary Healthcare Commission to integrate Hong Kong's primary healthcare services for elderly people in phases

The Primary Healthcare Commission (PHC Commission) under the Health Bureau announced today (August 18) that primary healthcare services for the elderly in Hong Kong will be further enhanced. Starting from October 5 (Monday), the services of Elderly Health Centres (EHCs) under the Department of Health (DH) will be gradually integrated into the district health network, providing more comprehensive primary healthcare services for the elderly under a new service model.

The Primary Healthcare Commission, Photo source: online image

The Health Bureau, Photo source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Substantial increase in service points and service capacity

The integration of elderly health services aims to implement the primary healthcare direction put forward by the Chief Executive in the Policy Address, and to take forward the measures set out in the Primary Healthcare Blueprint. The PHC Commission will integrate nine EHCs, namely those in North District, Yuen Long, Tuen Mun Wu Hong, Tsuen Wan, Kwai Shing, San Po Kong, Yau Ma Tei, Shau Kei Wan and Aberdeen (see Annex 1) in the first phase. Integration of the remaining nine EHCs will be completed within 2027-28.

Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Upon completion of the integration, the number of service points will increase substantially from the current 18 to more than 100, covering District Health Centres/District Health Centre Expresses (collectively referred to as DHCs) across all 18 districts in Hong Kong and designated Hospital Authority (HA) Family Medicine Clinics (FMCs), among others. The overall capacity for elderly health services will also double, increasing from the current approximately 54 000 elderly persons per year to more than 120 000. The service flow of chronic disease management and health assessment services after integration is as follows (see Annex 2).

Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Arrangements for integrating chronic disease management services

Elderly persons who have follow-up consultations or examinations at the nine EHCs in the first phase may continue to attend their appointments at the EHCs on the scheduled dates. Starting from October 5 this year, after the elderly persons have completed their follow-up consultations, the DHCs will co-ordinate their subsequent follow-ups. Upon registration as DHC members for free, the elderly persons can directly enter the treatment phase of the Chronic Disease Co-Care Scheme after assessment, and receive follow-up care from a community family doctor of their choice. In addition, arrangements will be made for elderly persons receiving follow-up consultations at both an EHC under the DH and an FMC under the HA, to continue their follow-up care at the FMC.

Photo source: reference image

Arrangements for integrating health assessment service

For members who have appointments for health assessment services at the EHCs, the DH will continue to provide services. Members awaiting an appointment date and elderly persons interested in using EHC services will receive services at the DHCs starting from December this year. The PHC Commission will roll out more comprehensive elderly health assessment services. The scope of assessments provided by the DHCs will be expanded from the current domains of cognition, mobility and vision to cover nutrition, hearing, psychological capacity and urinary problems. Healthcare professionals will formulate tailored management plans for the elderly persons based on the assessment results. Details will be announced later.

Service arrangements for underprivileged elderly

Elderly persons who are recipients of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme, recipients of the Old Age Living Allowance aged 75 or above, or holder of valid medical fee waiver certificates will, upon registering as DHC members, be arranged to receive preventive elderly health services and assessments at designated HA FMCs. Subject to their eligibility, the relevant fees may be fully or partially waived.

Photo source: reference image

Follow-up work

The PHC Commission, together with the DH, will gradually issue letters to EHC members in the coming weeks to inform them of the service integration and subsequent follow-up arrangements. Meanwhile, the EHCs will update their signage, and the PHC Commission will also progressively refurbish the existing facilities and environment of the EHCs. Relevant information has already also been uploaded to the EHC website and the DHC website. Members of the public may also visit or call the EHCs and DHCs (see Annex 3) for enquiries. They may also call the Primary Healthcare Co-care Network enquiry line at 2157 0500, which operates from 9am to 9pm on Mondays to Saturdays (except public holidays).

Source; HKSAR Government Press Releases

Counter Terrorism Education Thematic Exhibition opens today

An opening ceremony was held today (October 24) at the Hong Kong Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui to mark the launch of the Counter Terrorism Education Thematic Exhibition. The exhibition is organised by the Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit (ICTU), co-organised by the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force, and coordinated by the Security Bureau. Through multimedia displays and interactive experiences, the exhibition aims to enhance public awareness of counter-terrorism (CT) and strengthen public response capabilities.

Addressing the opening ceremony, the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, emphasised that terrorism knows no borders. Hong Kong must therefore remain vigilant and be prepared for potential threats, while continuing to strengthen its CT capabilities in the area of prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. Mr Tang said the exhibition aims to deepen public understanding of terrorism, the global CT landscape, and Hong Kong’s CT strategies. It also seeks to encourage members of the public to stay alert and embrace the message that “greater vigilance means lower risk”, working together to safeguard Hong Kong’s security.

Other officiating guests included the Commissioner of Police, Mr Chow Yat-ming, and the Secretary General of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Mr Au Chi-kwong. Representatives from the six disciplined services member departments of the ICTU and their youth groups also attended the opening ceremony.

The CT thematic exhibition is being staged in the main lobby on the first floor of the Hong Kong Museum of History. Together with the National Security Exhibition Gallery on the second floor, it creates a complementary and synergistic exhibition experience. The exhibition is open to the public from today until March 1 next year.

The thematic exhibition features diverse and vibrant content across multiple zones, showcasing the global and local CT landscape; Hong Kong’s CT strategies, including the Three-tier Prevention Framework for CT established by the HKSAR Government and the city’s CT legal framework; as well as the CT roles of the ICTU and other government departments. Interactive highlights include the “Spot and Report” and “Run, Hide, Report” games, together with an authentic wartime bomb weighing over 1 000 pounds, dismantled in 2014 and provided for display by the Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau. The exhibition enables visitors to gain CT and emergency preparedness knowledge through immersive and interactive experiences, thereby enhancing public awareness of terrorism prevention.

In addition, the “Safe Community Plus+”, jointly organised by the ICTU and the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups for a third time, was officially launched following the opening ceremony. Over the next six months, the “Safe Community Plus+” will visit various schools and community venues, using a variety of interactive mini-games to help students and members of the public to learn about security awareness and emergency response in an engaging manner.

Looking ahead, the HKSAR Government will, in line with the direction set out in the Hong Kong’s First Five-year Plan and the Chief Executive’s 2026 Policy Address, continue to monitor the global terrorism trends and CT measures, further strengthen specialised CT training, optimise various contingency plans, deepen cross-boundary and international cooperation and exchanges, as well as expand community intelligence networks, with a view to comprehensively enhancing Hong Kong’s overall CT planning and preparedness, and strengthening its CT governance capabilities.

An opening ceremony was held today (October 24) at the Hong Kong Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui to mark the launch of the Counter Terrorism Education Thematic Exhibition. The exhibition is organised by the Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit, co-organised by the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force, and coordinated by the Security Bureau. Photo shows a visitor gaining counter terrorism and emergency preparedness knowledge through the “Run, Hide, Report” interactive game, thereby enhancing the awareness of terrorism prevention. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

An opening ceremony was held today (October 24) at the Hong Kong Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui to mark the launch of the Counter Terrorism Education Thematic Exhibition. The exhibition is organised by the Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit, co-organised by the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force, and coordinated by the Security Bureau. Through multimedia displays and interactive experiences, the exhibition aims to enhance public awareness of counter-terrorism and strengthen public response capabilities. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

An opening ceremony was held today (October 24) at the Hong Kong Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui to mark the launch of the Counter Terrorism Education Thematic Exhibition. The exhibition is organised by the Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit, co-organised by the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force, and coordinated by the Security Bureau. Through multimedia displays and interactive experiences, the exhibition aims to enhance public awareness of counter-terrorism and strengthen public response capabilities. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

An opening ceremony was held today (October 24) at the Hong Kong Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui to mark the launch of the Counter Terrorism Education Thematic Exhibition. The exhibition is organised by the Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit, co-organised by the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force, and coordinated by the Security Bureau. Photo shows the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung (left) being briefed by an officer of the Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

An opening ceremony was held today (October 24) at the Hong Kong Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui to mark the launch of the Counter Terrorism Education Thematic Exhibition. The exhibition is organised by the Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit (ICTU), co-organised by the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force, and coordinated by the Security Bureau. Photo shows the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung (second row, centre); the Commissioner of Police, Mr Chow Yat-ming (second row, sixth right); the Secretary General of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Au Chi-kwong (second row, sixth left); the Permanent Secretary for Security, Mrs Apollonia Liu (second row, fifth left); and the Under Secretary for Security, Mr Michael Cheuk (second row, fifth right), are pictured with representatives from the six disciplined services member departments of the ICTU and their youth groups at the event. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

An opening ceremony was held today (October 24) at the Hong Kong Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui to mark the launch of the Counter Terrorism Education Thematic Exhibition. The exhibition is organised by the Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit, co-organised by the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force, and coordinated by the Security Bureau. Photo shows the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung (left), touring the exhibition. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

An opening ceremony was held today (October 24) at the Hong Kong Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui to mark the launch of the Counter Terrorism Education Thematic Exhibition. The exhibition is organised by the Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit, co-organised by the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force, and coordinated by the Security Bureau. Photo shows the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, addressing the opening ceremony. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

An opening ceremony was held today (October 24) at the Hong Kong Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui to mark the launch of the Counter Terrorism Education Thematic Exhibition. The exhibition is organised by the Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit, co-organised by the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force, and coordinated by the Security Bureau. Photo shows (from left) the Permanent Secretary for Security, Mrs Apollonia Liu; the Secretary General of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Au Chi-kwong; the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Commissioner of Police, Mr Chow Yat-ming; and the Under Secretary for Security, Mr Michael Cheuk, officiating at the opening ceremony. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases