In the 2017 Policy Address, the Chief Executive directed that, to further illustrate the
effectiveness of medical-social collaboration in providing primary healthcare services, the Food
and Health Bureau (FHB) should set up a pilot District Health Centre (DHC) with a brand new
operation mode in Kwai Tsing District within two years. The Government will provide funding for
the centre according to the needs and characteristics of the district. The planned DHC will make
use of the local network to procure services from organisations and healthcare personnel serving
the district so that the public can receive necessary care in the community. With the experience
gained from the pilot scheme, the Government will progressively set up DHCs in all 18 districts.
The DHC aims to raise public awareness on personal health management, enhance disease
prevention, and strengthen medical and rehabilitation services in the community, thereby
reducing unwarranted use of hospital services. The services being considered for the DHC (and
through its local network) include health promotion, health screening for target groups, case
management, care coordination and community rehabilitation.
Client Journey
Enrolment to DHC Network
The DHC Operator will procure services from non-government entities in the community and
form the DHC network. The DHC network service providers include Medical Practitioners,
allied health professionals (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians,
podiatrists, speech therapists, optometrists) and Chinese Medicine Practitioners. To enhance
the accessibility of clients to DHC services, healthcare practitioners from nearby districts
can also join the DHC network. For the Kwai Tsing DHC, these are the Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin, and
Sham Shui Po districts.
The Government will offer subsidies for the provision of DHC network services. The DHC
Operator will contract separately with the network service providers.
Criteria for enrolment:
Medical Practitioners and Chinese Medicine Practitioners must be listed in the
Primary Care Directory of the Primary Healthcare Office (PHO) of the Food and Health
Bureau.
To facilitate choice of the client and to enhance transparency of DHC service
charging, Medical Practitioners are required to list out its standard DHC medical
consultation charge.
Network service providers including Medical Practitioners, Chinese Medicine
Practitioners, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and optometrists must enrol
in the eHRSS. Clinical information will be shared in the eHRSS to ensure continuity
and coordination of care.
Profession
Requirement
Medical Practitioner
Listed in the Primary Care Directory; and
Agree to disclose basic consultation fee under the DHC scheme
for clients' information
Chinese Medicine Practitioner
Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner listed in the Primary
Care Directory
Occupational Therapist
Part I registered Occupational Therapist
Optometrist
A degree of Optometry from a local university or equivalent; and
Part I registered Optometrist
Physiotherapist
Part IA registered Physiotherapist
Dietitian
A post-graduate diploma in dietetics or a degree of Science in
dietetics, inclusive of an internship, or equivalent;
Listed in the Hong Kong Academy of Accredited Dietitians; and
Agree to accept Elderly Health Care Voucher under District
Health Centre Scheme
Podiatrist
A degree in Podiatry, Podiatric Medicine or Podiatric Studies,
or equivalent; and
Agree to accept Elderly Health Care Voucher under District
Health Centre Scheme
Speech Therapist
A degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences from a local university
or equivalent;
Registered with the Hong Kong Institute of Speech Therapists;
and
Agree to accept Elderly Health Care Voucher under District
Health Centre Scheme
Referral mechanism for DHC network service
A client referred by Medical Practitioners for individual healthcare professional
service will make his/her choice of network service provider from a list of enrolled
healthcare professionals. Staff of the DHC will facilitate arrangement of
appointment accordingly.
To facilitate the territory-wide rollout of District Health Centres
(DHCs), training for healthcare professionals is essential to ensure
comprehensive understanding of the concept of the DHC network and
multidisciplinary care coordination. It is also necessary to enhance the
knowledge and skills of primary healthcare doctors and other healthcare
professionals for provision of primary healthcare services in support of
DHCs as well as playing a more active role in the development of primary
healthcare for Hong Kong. Training subsidies are offered by the
Government as an incentive to encourage more healthcare professionals to
enrol in the related training courses supporting primary healthcare
development in Hong Kong.
Letter to Doctors for the Training Funding Scheme can be
downloaded here.
Eligibility Criteria for Application of the Training Subsidy
Registered medical practitioners in Hong Kong who enrol
in the Certificate Course in Essential Family Medicine
(CCEFM) or the Diploma Course in Family Medicine (DFM)
for 2022-2023 having satisfied the corresponding course
requirements and are awarded the certificate of CCEFM or
DFM by the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians.
A doctor participant is not eligible to
apply for course fee subsidisation under the "Training
Funding Scheme for Healthcare Professionals" if he / she
was granted reimbursement of course fee from the Food
and Health Bureau for the CCEFM / DFM previously.
Reimbursement Procedures
Upon award of certificate, the subsidy application form
will be enclosed by the Hong Kong College of Family
Physicians (HKCFP) for the course participants;
The course participants should submit the application
form to the Primary Healthcare Office (PHO) of the Food
and Health Bureau;
The final approval of the reimbursement is at the
discretion of the Government;
PHO will arrange payment of subsidy to course
participants.
The Food and Health Bureau will provide subsidies to each
eligible participant after having satisfactorily completed the
following course:
Certificate Course in Ophthalmology for Primary Health
Care Doctors co-organised by the College of
Ophthalmologists of Hong Kong and the
Hong Kong College of Family Physicians
(Application Deadline: 27 June
2022)
HK$1,000 course fee reimbursement*
will be given to Network Medical Practitioner (NMP)
of DHC who successfully obtain the certificate.
25% of the course fee reimbursement will be given to
non-NMP who successfully obtain the certificate.
* Only those NMPs on the list by
the application deadline are eligible for the
reimbursement
If you are interested, please contact Mr. Kevin Lui from the
College of Ophthalmologists of Hong Kong by phone at 2761 9877
or by email at cohkadmin@biznetvigator.com.
Eligibility Criteria for Application of the Training Subsidy
Registered medical practitioners in Hong Kong who enrol
in the Certificate Course in Ophthalmology having
satisfied the corresponding course requirements and are
awarded the certificate.
Reimbursement Procedures
Upon award of certificate, the subsidy application form
will be enclosed by the organisers for the eligible
course participants;
The eligible course participants should submit the
completed application form together with copy of
certificate of course completion to the Primary
Healthcare Office (PHO) of the Food and Health Bureau by
post within 6 months of the Certificate award.
The final approval of the reimbursement is at the
discretion of the Government;
PHO will arrange payment of subsidy to course
participants.
Letter to Nurses for the Training Funding Scheme can be
downloaded here.
Eligibility Criteria for Application of the Training Subsidy
Registered nurses in Hong Kong who enrol in the
Post-registration Certificate Course in Primary
Healthcare Nursing (DHC Module) (CCPHN-DHC) for
2020-2021 having satisfied the course requirements and
are awarded the certificate of CCPHN-DHC by the Hong
Kong Academy of Nursing Limited.
Reimbursement Procedures
Upon award of certificate, the subsidy application form
will be enclosed by the Hong Kong Academy of Nursing
Limited (HKAN) for the course participants;
The course participants should submit the application
form to HKAN;
The final approval of the reimbursement is at the
discretion of the Government;
Primary Healthcare Office will arrange payment of
subsidy to course participants through HKAN;
Course participants may be required to acknowledge
receipt of subsidy to HKAN.
An amount of HK$3,000 will be reimbursed to each eligible
Physiotherapist and Occupational Therapist participant after
having satisfactorily completed the following course:
The School of Professional Education and Executive
Development (SPEED) of Hong Kong Polytechnic University
(PolyU) developed the Professional Certificate in Primary
Healthcare in Community Care Context for
Physiotherapy. The course is co-ogranised with SAHK
Institute of Rehabilitation Practice with support from the
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences of PolyU and the Hong
Kong Physiotherapy Association. (Application
Deadline: 16 April 2021)
The School of Professional Education and Executive
Development (SPEED) of Hong Kong Polytechnic University
(PolyU) developed the Professional Certificate in Primary
Healthcare for Occupational Therapy, with support
from the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences of PolyU and
the Hong Kong Occupational Therapy Association (HKOTA).
(Application Deadline: 16 April
2021)
Letter to Physiotherapists for the Training Funding Scheme can
be downloaded here.
Letter to Occupational Therapists for the Training Funding
Scheme can be downloaded here.
Eligibility Criteria for Application of the Training Subsidy
Registered Physiotherapists in Hong Kong who enroll in
the Professional Certificate in Primary Healthcare in
Community Care Context for Physiotherapy 2021 having
satisfied the course requirements and are awarded the
certificate by the School of Professional Education and
Executive Development of Hong Kong Polytechnic
University.
Registered Occupational Therapists in Hong Kong who
enroll in the Professional Certificate in Primary
Healthcare for Occupational Therapy 2021 having
satisfied the course requirements and are awarded the
certificate by the School of Professional Education and
Executive Development of Hong Kong Polytechnic
University.
Reimbursement Procedures
Upon award of certificate, the subsidy application form
will be enclosed by the School of Professional Education
and Executive Development of Hong Kong Polytechnic
University for the course participants;
The course participants should submit the application
form to the Primary Healthcare Office (PHO) of the Food
and Health Bureau;
The final approval of the reimbursement is at the
discretion of the Government;
PHO will arrange payment of subsidy to course
participants.
Applicants shall not obtain any other public funds or assistance
under any other publicly funded financial assistance scheme for the
fees to be reimbursed for the same course.
Training institutions may approach the Primary Healthcare Office if
they are interested in providing DHC-related training courses for
primary healthcare doctors and other healthcare professionals.
In preparation for the opening of the Kwai Tsing DHC (K&TDHC), the
Primary Healthcare Office (PHO) organised a K&TDHC Induction Course
which consisted of two half-day programmes for the K&TDHC staff and
network service providers. The induction course acted as a springboard
to equip healthcare providers of the K&TDHC with principles and hands-on
knowledge on the operation of the K&TDHC. The topics and presentation
materials are listed below.
Contribution of Allied Health Professionals in Primary
Healthcare - Health Promotion, Disease Prevention, Chronic
Disease Management and Community Rehabilitation
With the territory-wide rollout of the District Health Centres (DHCs),
it is essential for healthcare professionals to have a comprehensive
understanding of the principles of primary healthcare and the concept of
DHC scheme. This online seminar is designed to reinforce the knowledge
of primary care and multidisciplinary team approach as well as the role
of different healthcare professionals under the DHC network.
Topic
Speaker
File
Principles of primary healthcare and concept of DHC
scheme
A1: The DHC is a primary healthcare initiative of the Government. Through public-private
partnership, medical-social collaboration, it provides district-based primary healthcare
services aiming to:
enhance public awareness of disease prevention and their capability in
self-management of health;
drive healthy lifestyle for prevention of chronic disease;
support the chronically ill to prevent deterioration; and
enhance client access to primary healthcare services.
A2: Each DHC consists of a core centre and a few satellite centres, being the healthcare
service and resource hub of the district.
A3: The core centre will offer primary healthcare services through individual service
sessions and group intervention. It will provide primary, secondary and tertiary prevention
programmes. The satellite centres will offer primary prevention programmes and other group
activities.
A4: The first DHC in Kwai Tsing District has commenced operation at the end of September
2019. The DHC scheme will be rolled out to other districts progressively.
A5: The government will identify a non-governmental organization through open tender.
A6: The DHC network includes Medical Practitioners, Chinese Medicine Practitioners,
physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, pharmacists, optometrists,
podiatrists and speech therapists.
A1: Healthcare professionals practising in the corresponding and adjacent districts of the
DHC can join the DHC network.
Medical Practitioners must be registered with the Medical Council of Hong Kong under
Section 14 or 14A, hold a valid annual practising certificate and be listed in the
primary care directory.
Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioners must be listed in the primary care
directory.
The healthcare professionals have to be either a registered healthcare provider
(HCP) for the Hong Kong Government’s (HKG) electronic Health Record Sharing System
(eHRSS) or authorised by an HCP to access and use the eHRSS.
The healthcare professionals required to be registered under the Supplementary
Medical Professions Ordinance must possess a valid practising certificate.
A2: Healthcare professionals can apply of their own volition or through the DHC Operator’s
invitation. They need to provide appropriate supporting documents to the DHC Operator for
enrolment. For enquiries, please contact the DHC Operator for further assistance.
A3: Individuals living or working in the district of the corresponding DHC.
A4: An individual who
is a holder of the Hong Kong Identity Card issued under the Registration of Persons
Ordinance (Cap. 177, the Laws of Hong Kong) or the certificate of exemption, except
those who obtained their Hong Kong Identity Cards by virtue of a previous permission
to land or remain in Hong Kong granted to him and such permission has expired or
ceased to be valid; or a child who is a Hong Kong resident and under 11 years of
age; and
agrees to enrol in the electronic Health Record Sharing System (eHRSS); and
is living or working in the district of the corresponding DHC.
A1: The Scheme includes primary, secondary and tertiary prevention programmes. Primary
prevention programmes consist of health promotion and disease prevention activities.
Secondary prevention includes screening for diabetes mellitus and hypertension in targeted
group of clients. Targeted clients will attend Network Medical Practitioners for screening.
Medical laboratory services will be procured by the DHC Operator. Tertiary prevention
programmes cover chronic disease management and community rehabilitation. Individual allied
health services are available for management of diabetes, hypertension, low back pain,
osteoarthritic knee pain, stroke rehabilitation, hip fracture rehabilitation and phase 4
cardiac rehabilitation for post-acute myocardial infarction clients.
A2: DHC Network Medical Practitioners will receive the basic consultation fee upon provision
of DHC service, i.e. consultation for DM/HT screening/management.
For individual allied health services including physiotherapy, occupational therapy,
dietetic service, optometry assessment, speech therapy and podiatry, the healthcare
professional will receive a fixed service fee as proposed by the DHC Operator and agreed by
the government.
A3: For the Kwai Tsing DHC, the service fee for individual healthcare service and the
co-payment by the client will be proposed by the DHC Operator and are subject to agreement
by the government.
A4: Yes, healthcare service sessions are provided based on clinical needs, and the maximum
number of sessions for different DHC programmes has been set.
A5: Beyond the maximum number of subsidised sessions, the client has to pay the fees charged
by the Network Service Provider.
A6: Under the Scheme, the DHC client can receive subsidised healthcare professional services
for the targeted diseases within the scope as specified. Individual clients may receive
additional service(s) or treatments at their own expenses.
A7: Clients who have participated in the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme can pay for DHC
services from their Health Care Voucher accounts.
A1: To facilitate continuity of care, all DHC clients and Network Service Providers are
required to enrol in the eHRSS, to enable clinical information sharing between service
providers.
A1: Clients must obtain referral from Network Medical Practitioners to receive individual
healthcare services, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, optometry assessment,
dietetics, podiatry, speech therapy from the Network Service Providers.
A2: Yes. If a Network Service Provider wishes to withdraw from the DHC network, he should
give advance notice to the DHC Operator within a period specified by the Operator. The
Network Service Provider shall ensure that all the scheduled services are delivered before
the termination date.
A3: A Network Service Provider will serve in the DHC network of the corresponding or nearby
districts.
A1: Should there be any updates / changes made, in the future or thereafter, to the
information previously provided in the Enrolment Application or that is pertinent to a
Network Service Provider’s participation in this Scheme, please inform the DHC Operator
immediately.
Note: The above FAQs for HCPs are for reference only. HCPs should refer to the
Terms and Conditions of the DHC for details.
