Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ11:Provision of health care services by non-professionals at public hospitals

     Following is a question by the Hon Kwong Chi-kin and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (October 13):

 

Question:

 

     It has been reported that the Hospital Authority (HA) intends to train non-professional attendants to become General Care Assistants for taking up some of the duties currently performed by nurses, such as cleansing patients' wounds, from the end of this year onwards.  In this regard, will the Government inform this Council if it knows:

 

(a)  the details of this arrangement and whether HA has consulted the staff of the grades concerned;

 

(b)  how HA will ensure the quality of the relevant health care services and safeguard the health of patients after the handling of the care procedures has been transferred to the non-professional attendants; and

 

(c)  whether HA will employ fewer nurses because of the above arrangement; if so, the estimated reduction in the number of nurses to be recruited?

 

Reply:

 

(a) (b) & (c)  At present, public hospitals under the Hospital Authority (HA) have no plans to arrange for non-professional health care workers to take up duties such as cleansing patients' wounds currently performed by nurses.

 

     In order to make more effective use of limited resources and to enable nurses to concentrate their efforts on providing professional care for patients, duties which do not require professional nursing knowledge such as bed baths, oral health care, giving out bedpans and urinals as well as feeding patients have now been taken up by staff of other grades in public hospitals.  Duties which require professional nursing knowledge, such as cleansing patients' wounds, are all along performed by qualified nurses.

 

     Our public heath care system has always attached much importance to teamwork in providing cost effective and quality health care service to the public.  With the continuous advancement of medical technology, medical services in various domains have become more professionalized.  HA will adjust the job content of officers of different ranks in the light of latest technological developments and service needs.  Before introducing any changes, however, HA will conduct assessments on the effect of such changes on service to patients and work arrangements for staff as well as communicate clearly the changes to the staff concerned.

 

Ends/Wednesday, October 13, 2004

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