Government Elaborates on Nurse Manpower Planning and Employment Situation in Hong Kong

Government elaborates on nurse manpower planning and employment situation in Hong Kong

The Government has noted the recent differing views and discussions in the community on the manpower planning and the employment situation of nurses in Hong Kong. To facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the relevant situation by the public, the Government today (September 29) elaborated on the matter as follows.

The Central Government Offices, Photo source: reference image

A Government spokesman said that the Government has all along been guided by the well-being of the public and the public interest. It has been keeping under review the demand for and supply of healthcare manpower in Hong Kong, and planning nurse training and manpower development in accordance with healthcare service needs, with a view to ensuring that the public healthcare system is equipped with sufficient professional manpower to meet service demand. In recruiting healthcare professionals, public healthcare institutions have also consistently upheld the principle of according priority to the employment of locally trained professionals. The Government considers that discussions in the community on healthcare manpower should be premised on objective facts and data to foster rational exchanges and build consensus.

Sustained demand for nursing manpower

With an ageing population and the continuous growth in demand for healthcare services, the demand for nursing services in Hong Kong remains keen.

Although the attrition rate of nurses in the Hospital Authority (HA) has dropped from a peak of 10.9 per cent to 5.4 per cent, there are still some 3 200 nurse vacancies in the HA to date, and recruitment is ongoing. This reflects that there remains a genuine demand for nursing manpower in the public healthcare system.

The Hospital Authority, Photo source: reference image

In fact, the nursing manpower of the public healthcare system has been increasing steadily in recent years. As at end-March 2016, the HA had about 23 500 nurses. The number rose to about 29 000 as at end-March 2026, representing an increase of about 5 500 (23 per cent) over the past decade. The increase reflects the HA's ongoing efforts in recruiting and training nurses to support service development, meet the healthcare needs arising from an ageing population, and improve the nurse-to-patient ratio, among other operational needs. While the attrition of nurses has gradually improved in recent years, the public healthcare system continues to have a sustained and stable demand for nursing manpower.

According to the relevant figures, there were about 4 000 prospective nursing graduates in 2025, about 3 500 became Registered Nurses (RNs) or Enrolled Nurses (ENs). In the same year, about 2 500 persons applied for RN and EN posts in the HA, representing about 60 per cent of the total number of prospective graduates of that year. The figures show that not all graduates chose to join the public healthcare system, with some opting to pursue careers in various sectors such as private healthcare institutions, elderly and rehabilitation services, community nursing organisations, as well as insurance and health management.

Among those who applied for RN posts in the HA and completed the interview or assessment process, about 99 per cent were offered appointment. The figures reflect that there is a continued demand for qualified nurses in the public healthcare system.

As at end-2025, there were about 75 000 RNs and ENs in Hong Kong, more than 30 000 were working in the public healthcare system, accounting for about 40 per cent of the total. Given that the scope of nursing practice is extensive, covering hospitals, primary healthcare, community nursing, elderly services, rehabilitation services and other health service sectors, the demand for and supply of nursing manpower should be assessed holistically, taking into account the healthcare and nursing services market as a whole.

Photo source: reference image

Public healthcare system staffed predominantly by locally trained nurses

In recruiting healthcare professionals (including nurses), the HA has all along accorded priority to the employment of locally trained professionals.

As at end-2025, the number of non-locally trained RNs admitted to Hong Kong through the limited registration and special registration pathways was very small, accounting for less than 0.5 per cent of all RNs. In the same year, nearly 70 per cent of the non-locally trained RNs who came to Hong Kong under these arrangements were personnel engaged in short-term medical exchanges, receiving local clinical training or sharing professional experience.

There are currently about 50 non-locally trained RNs serving in the HA, accounting for less than 0.2 per cent of the total number of nurses in the HA. In other words, about 99.8 per cent of RNs working in the HA are locally trained. The relevant arrangements are mainly for supporting manpower needs in individual specialties and promoting professional exchanges, and their scale is very limited.

The Government considers that maintaining the limited registration and special registration arrangements helps Hong Kong maintain professional exchanges and co-operation with other healthcare systems, keep abreast of the latest healthcare developments and clinical practice, and raise the standard of healthcare services in Hong Kong, without affecting the position of locally trained nurses as the mainstay of the public healthcare system.

The Government will continue to promote regional healthcare collaboration and professional exchanges in accordance with Hong Kong's healthcare service needs and on the premise of safeguarding employment priority for locally trained professionals, with a view to meeting the long-term development needs of healthcare services in Hong Kong.

Hospital in Hong Kong, Photo source: reference image

Continuous enhancement of nursing manpower deployment and quality of patient care

The HA has always attached great importance to nursing manpower planning. Apart from recruiting fresh graduates, it has also been recruiting local nurses with different levels of work experience on an ongoing basis.

In the recruitment process, the HA assesses applicants' professional qualifications, clinical competence and work experience in accordance with established mechanism, ensuring that the appointees meet the professional requirements and service needs.

The spokesman said that increasing nursing manpower is as important as maintaining professional standards. Nurses shoulder important duties such as clinical assessment, medication management, infection control and direct patient care, and their professional judgement and work performance are closely linked to patient safety and the quality of healthcare services. As such, public healthcare institutions must strike an appropriate balance between meeting service demand and upholding professional standards in recruiting and deploying nursing manpower. Maintaining consistent and appropriate professional requirements is conducive to safeguarding patient safety and maintaining service quality, and is also an important foundation for the sound operation of the public healthcare system.

Upon appointment, the HA will make work arrangements for the appointees having regard to factors such as their preferred clusters, as well as the service needs and vacancy situation of individual clusters. The HA will continue to recruit nurses in accordance with service demand under the principle of according priority to locally trained nurses, and will arrange for nurses to extend their service to support services in specific areas in light of operational needs.

Promoting primary healthcare development and expanding the professional role of nurses

The Government is working to fully implement the Primary Healthcare Blueprint to progressively establish a community-based primary healthcare system with family doctors at its core.

Under the multidisciplinary team model, apart from providing disease prevention, basic nursing care and health promotion services, nurses also take up case management and care co-ordination duties, including health risk assessment, matching with family doctors and arranging appropriate referrals.

With the continuous development of the primary healthcare system, nurses will play an increasingly important role in areas such as chronic disease management, health promotion, community support services and interdisciplinary collaboration, and the relevant manpower demand is expected to continue to rise.

The Government will continue to strengthen manpower training for primary healthcare and take forward the development of relevant professional systems in accordance with development needs, with a view to further enhancing service quality and giving full play to the professional functions of nurses.

Creation of Health and Care Practitioner rank to address long-term care needs

The Health and Care Practitioner (HCP) is a dedicated rank created by the Government for the welfare sector. It aims to raise the professional standard of residential care services, while providing a clear professional development ladder for serving health workers and building a stable talent pool to meet the demand for long-term care services arising from population ageing.

Persons who wish to become HCPs are required to complete a designated professional diploma programme. In formulating the programme content, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) consulted stakeholders including representatives of the welfare sector, healthcare professionals, and training institutions.

The professional diploma programme comprises about 760 learning hours. Its content and assessment requirements are modelled on the training programme for Enrolled Nurses (General), covering the nursing care duties required in residential care homes and rehabilitation service units, and have been reviewed by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications.

In addition, the SWD will require registered HCPs to undertake continuing professional development on a regular basis to ensure that their professional knowledge and practical competence meet service requirements.

HCPs and ENs are different professional grades with distinct training objectives, scopes of practice and service positioning, and the two should not be confused.

Photo source: reference image

Conclusion

The Government reiterated that its healthcare policy has always been aimed at safeguarding public health and maintaining quality healthcare services. In the face of an ageing population and rising healthcare demand, the Government will continue to take forward healthcare manpower development in the areas of training, manpower planning, professional development and cross-sectoral collaboration based on service needs and manpower data, ensuring that healthcare and nursing services in Hong Kong can continue to meet the needs of society.

The Government pointed out that the number of nurses in the public healthcare system has continued to grow, nurse vacancies still exist, and about 99 per cent of RN applicants who completed the recruitment assessment process were offered appointment, showing that the public healthcare system has all along maintained a stable demand for qualified nurses. At the same time, about 99.8 per cent of RNs serving in the HA are locally trained, reflecting that locally trained nurses remain the backbone of the public healthcare system.

The Health Bureau understands that private hospitals have also encountered difficulties in recruiting nurses. A private hospital indicated that it had 40 nurse vacancies but received only 25 applications, and that it had been short of nursing staff over the past year.

The Government hopes that all sectors of the community will continue to exchange views on healthcare manpower development and professional training on the basis of facts and data, and work together to foster the continuous development of Hong Kong's healthcare system, thereby providing quality, safe and high-standard healthcare services for the public.

DH reminds public that injection procedures should only be administered by registered medical practitioners or registered dentists

In response to media enquiries regarding the Department of Health's (DH) plan to revise the Codes of Practice (CoPs) for licensed private healthcare facilities (PHFs) to update regulatory requirements on the use of injectable and infusible products in PHFs, the DH today (September 29) responded as follows:

In 2013, the Government accepted the recommendations of the Working Group on Differentiation between Medical Procedures and Beauty Services under the Steering Committee on Review of Regulation of Private Healthcare Facilities that procedures involving injections should be regarded as medical procedures and only be performed by registered medical practitioners or registered dentists. Products intended for human parenteral injection are high-risk products. Unless they fall within other regulatory categories (e.g. medical devices or proprietary Chinese medicines), they are generally classified as pharmaceutical products under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138) and must be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong before they can be sold or distributed in Hong Kong. The "Guidance Notes for Definitions and Abbreviations for Medical Device Administrative Control System (GN-00) " published by the DH also explicitly stipulates injectable dermal fillers are classified as medical devices.

All registered pharmaceutical products carry a Hong Kong registration number in the format of "HK-XXXXX" on their packages. Members of the public can use the "Search Drug Database" function on the website of the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong to check information on individual registered pharmaceutical products by entering the product name or ingredient; all listed medical devices carry a listing number in the format of "HKMD XXXXXX". Members of the public may refer to the "List of Medical Devices" at the Medical Device Division's website for detailed information.

The DH regulates premises where registered medical practitioners and registered dentists practise under the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (Cap. 633) (the Ordinance). The Government set up the Advisory Committee for Regulatory Standards for Private Healthcare Facilities (Advisory Committee) under the Ordinance. It comprises members from the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, the Hospital Authority, the academia, and representatives from private hospitals, registered medical practitioners' as well as dentists' associations. The terms of reference of the Advisory Committee are to devise, review and update the standards of regulation for PHFs and make recommendations on the CoPs issued by the Director of Health from time to time.

Since injectable and infusible products intended for human are high-risk products, the Advisory Committee has endorsed updated regulatory requirements and required that all injectable and infusible products used in licensed PHFs must fall within one of the following categories:

i) Pharmaceutical products registered or exempted from registration under the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations (Cap. 138A);

ii) Human organ or human tissue products in compliance with the Human Organ Transplant Ordinance (Cap. 465); or

iii) Medical devices listed under the Medical Device Administrative Control System (MDACS).

In light of the Advisory Committee's decision, the DH will also revise the CoPs for licensed PHFs accordingly. The DH intends to publish the revised CoPs in the Gazette in the fourth quarter of 2026. The revised CoPs, except for the sections on medical devices, will take effect one month after publication in the Gazette. To allow licensed PHFs sufficient time to identify compliant alternative products,the requirement for using injectable and infusible medical devices listed under MDACS will take effect on March 1, 2027.

Regarding the aforesaid requirement on injectable and infusible products, the DH issued a letter on September 9, 2026, to notify licensees of PHFs, licence applicants and the medical device industry. This letter, as well as frequently asked questions, have also been uploaded to the DH's website for reference.

The Ordinance stipulates that operators of PHFs must obtain a licence or a letter of exemption before they can operate the relevant PHFs. The regulatory regimes for private hospitals and day procedure centres have been fully implemented, while the Government has started accepting applications for clinic licences and requests for letters of exemption for small practice clinics since October 2025. Any premises (including premises claiming to provide beauty services) that provide medical services/carry out medical procedures must obtain a relevant licence or letter of exemption under the Ordinance according to the nature of the medical services/procedures. The Government expects that, as early as the end of December 2027, any premises (including premises claiming to provide beauty services) that provide medical services or carry out medical procedures will be required to hold a relevant licence or letter of exemption under the Ordinance according to the nature of the services or procedures. As of yesterday (September 28), the DH has issued a total of over 3 400 clinic licences or letters of exemption for small practice clinics.

Compliance with the CoP is a condition for the issuance and renewal of licences. The DH inspects licensed PHFs from time to time and will take regulatory action if any licensed PHF is found to be in violation of the CoPs.

From time to time, the DH receives notifications of cases in which members of the public have developed complications following injection procedures, such as a probable case of botulism after a botulinum toxin injectionannounced on September 21 this year.

The DH has consistently reminded the public through various channels that injection procedures are medical procedures which should only be performed by locally registered medical practitioners or registered dentists. Members of the public should first ascertain the full name of the medical practitioner/dentist and check the List of Registered Medical Practitioners maintained by the Medical Council of Hong Kong or the List of Registered Dentists maintained by the Dental Council of Hong Kong. The professional qualifications and relevant credentials of the medical practitioner/dentist should also be verified. Before receiving an injection, members of the public should first understand the details of the procedure, potential risks and possible complications to make an informed decision. They should refuse injections from unknown sources, as their quality and efficacy are not assured.

Any person who is not a registered medical practitioner or registered dentist shall not perform medical procedures; otherwise the person may be charged for violating the Medical Registration Ordinance (Cap. 161) and the Dentists Registration Ordinance (Cap. 156).

The illegal sale or possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products is a criminal offence. The maximum penalty for each offence upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment. If a person is suspected of illegally providing unregistered pharmaceutical products, the DH will conduct investigations and take enforcement actions. If medical professionals are involved, the DH will refer the case to relevant professional regulatory bodies for follow-up actions.

Source: AI-found images