In July when the school holidays began, we had one of our College’s Honorary Fellows and long term friend Professor Michael Kidd visiting Hong Kong. Professor Kidd is currently Professor of Global Primary Care and Future Health Systems, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, United Kingdom, and Director, Centre for Future Health Systems, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. He was invited to participate in the Policy Forum on Building a Sustainable Healthcare System for Hong Kong organised by the Chinese University of Hong Kong as well as to deliver a lecture on Global Trends in Primary Health Care Reform: Implications for Hong Kong by the University of Hong Kong. Professor Kidd shared various global experiences to provide insights towards building a resilient primary care system. He advised policymakers and healthcare practitioners to reflect from the local and international experience of COVID-19 and made recommendations on how their healthcare systems can be reformed. We had a happy gathering to catch up with Professor Kidd in between his busy schedules in Hong Kong.

The Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme (CDCC Scheme) is the first significant project to be launched under the Primary Healthcare Blueprint, with a view to preventing worsening of chronic disease and occurrence of complication through early identification and early treatment. (Please click) It concerns the wellbeing of the general public and the sustainability of the healthcare system. All Hong Kong residents aged 45 or above can join the CDCC Scheme. To encourage citizens to take up primary responsibility for managing their own health, the CDCC Scheme adopts a Government-participant co-payment model. Apart from the Government's subsidies, participating citizens are also required to bear partial costs as a way to shoulder the responsibility for their own health. The introduction of the CDCC Scheme will not affect the appropriate healthcare services provided for the grassroots citizens under the public healthcare system. The Health Bureau reiterated that the public healthcare system would continue to be the basic safety net for grassroots, in particular the socially disadvantaged groups. Persons with financial difficulties (including recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance and Old Age Living Allowance) will continue to enjoy the protection of the safety net under the public healthcare system comprising services provided by parties such as the Hospital Authority (HA) and the Department of Health. 

As mentioned by the Bureau, a crucial factor leading to the growing pressure on public healthcare services is the imbalance between primary healthcare services and the secondary and tertiary healthcare services. Enhancing primary healthcare services will help alleviate the pressure on the secondary and tertiary healthcare services in the long run. Cross-specialties collaboration and public-private partnership have yet to attain their desired level of efficiency while quite a number of non-urgent cases of relative stable condition have not been effectively triaged back to primary healthcare or family doctors for more efficient, suitable and effective follow-up. The HKCFP is in full support of enhancing the collaboration between family doctors and the hospital specialists.

The World Organisation of Family Doctors (WONCA) has long been supporting the development of Young Doctors’ Movements (YDMs) in all regions. The nomination for election of a Young Doctor representative for a new term of office has recently been open and our Dr Cheryl Chan of HKCFP has been nominated by our College to represent us to run for the post. Let’s give Dr Chan our full support and wish her best of luck in the election!