Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ18: Manpower of nurses in public hospitals
Following is a question by the Dr Hon Joseph Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (May 17):
Question:
It has been reported that, due to the implementation of the voluntary retirement
and voluntary departure schemes by the Hospital Authority (HA) in recent years,
coupled with the growing demand for nursing manpower in the private medical
sector, the wastage rate of HA nurses has been on the rise. Nursing staff unions
state that the problems of frontline nursing manpower shortage and succession
gaps in nursing management personnel will emerge in public hospitals in the
future. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it
knows:
(a) the respective numbers of HA nursing staff who were promoted, newly
recruited or who departed in the past five years, broken down by rank and
hospital cluster;
(b) the number of nursing management personnel reaching retirement age as
anticipated by HA in each of the coming five years, broken down by rank and
hospital cluster; and
(c) whether HA will assess the projected wastage rate of nursing management
personnel and train up its nursing staff to fill the vacancies concerned as soon
as possible; if it will, of the details of the training programme and the
implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) The numbers of promotions, new recruits and departures amongst the nursing
staff of the Hospital Authority (HA) over the past five years, broken down by
rank and hospital cluster, are set out in the Annex 1.
(b) The number of nurses in the ranks of Nursing Officer and above who are
expected to reach retirement age in each of the coming five years, broken down
by hospital cluster, is set out in the Annex 2.
(c) As part of their annual manpower planning exercise, the HA and its hospital
clusters assess and plan for the succession of their management staff, including
those in the nursing grade, on a regular basis. In order to ensure the continued
provision of quality patient-centred services to the public, the HA attaches
great importance to professional manpower planning and development of current
and future leaders.
Training is one of the most direct means employed by the HA for the development
of its nursing management personnel. The Institute of Advanced Nursing School (IANS)
established under the Hospital Authority Institute of Health Care (HAIHC) has
organised various leadership training courses specifically for staff in the
nursing grade. Examples include courses on crisis management, staff empowerment,
and leadership at the point of care. Almost 600 nurses attended these courses
last year. Some of these courses are now organised at the hospital cluster
level, with over 50 courses being planned for the coming year for about 1 500
nursing staff.
The HAIHC is also offering a number of general management development programmes
for managers from different levels and disciplines. These programmes focus on
strengthening leadership capability, improving internal communication and
enhancing personal as well as team effectiveness. Around 550 nursing staff at
the rank of Nursing Officer or above attended these programmes in 2005-06. In
the coming year, more efforts will be made on the provision of management
training for both newly promoted and experienced managers, who have demonstrated
the potential to proceed further in their management career. It is estimated
that around 600 nursing staff at the rank of Nursing Officer or above would be
offered this type of management training next year.
Ends/Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Issued at HKT 14:57
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Attachment:
Annex to LegCo Q18