Background of DHC
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.
Key Functions and Features of DHC

A service / resource hub

Health promotion

Disease prevention and screening

Chronic disease management

Community rehabilitation
- Convenient location of Core Centre and Satellite Centres
- Scope of DHC service based on the needs and the characteristics of the district
- Appointment of a DHC Operator (a non-governmental organization) through open tender
- Purchase of services from private service providers
- Foundation of a network
- Members of the core team include:
- Executive director
- Chief care coordinator (Nurse)
- Care coordinator (Nurse)
- Physiotherapist
- Occupational therapist
- Dietitian
- Pharmacist
- Social worker
- Administrative staff
- Multidisciplinary care approach
Scope of Service

- Healthy Diet
- Physical Activity
- Weight Management
- Fall Prevention
- Smoking Cessation
- Alcohol Consumption
- Sleep Hygiene
- Mental Well-being

- Health Risk Factors Assessment
- Screening for Diabetes Mellitus/Hypertension

- Diabetes Mellitus
- Hypertension
- Musculoskeletal Disorder (Low back pain or Degenerative knee pain)

- Hip Fracture
- Post-Acute Myocardial Infarction
- Stroke
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, dietitians, optometrists, podiatrists and speech therapists must enrol in the eHRSS. Clinical information will be shared in the eHRSS to ensure continuity and coordination of care.
- Listed in the Primary Care Directory; and
- Agree to disclose basic consultation fee under the DHC scheme for clients' information
- Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner listed in the Primary Care Directory
- Part I registered Occupational Therapist
- A degree of Optometry from a local university or equivalent; and
- Part I registered Optometrist
- Part IA registered Physiotherapist
- 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 Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme District Health Centre
- A degree in Podiatry, Podiatric Medicine or Podiatric Studies, or equivalent; and
- Agree to accept Elderly Health Care Voucher under Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme District Health Centre
- 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 Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme District Health Centre
- Referral mechanism for DHC network service
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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.
Profession | Requirement | |
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Medical Practitioner |
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Chinese Medicine Practitioner |
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Occupational Therapist |
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Optometrist |
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Physiotherapist |
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Dietitian |
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Podiatrist |
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Speech Therapist |
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News and Events
Training
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.
An amount of HK$5,500 will be reimbursed to each eligible doctor participant after having satisfactorily completed one of the following courses:
- The Certificate Course in Essential Family Medicine 2020 - 2021 organised by the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians
- The Diploma Course in Family Medicine 2020 - 2021 organised by the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians
Letter to Doctors for the Training Funding Scheme can be downloaded here.
- 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 2020-2021 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 2019-2020 previously.
- 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 through HKCFP;
- Course participants may be required to acknowledge receipt of subsidy to HKCFP.
An amount of HK$3,000 will be reimbursed to each eligible nurse participant after having satisfactorily completed the following course:
- The Post-registration Certificate Course in Primary Healthcare Nursing (DHC Module) 2020 - 2021 organised by the Hong Kong Academy of Nursing Limited
Letter to Nurses for the Training Funding Scheme can be downloaded here.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Email: pho@fhb.gov.hk
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.
Topic | Presentation File |
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Principles of Primary Care | Download |
Provision of Life-long Care in the Primary Care Setting ; Chinese and Western Medicine Practitioner Collaboration |
Download |
The Roles and Responsibilities of Care Coordinators in DHC | Download |
Contribution of Allied Health Professionals in Primary Healthcare - Health Promotion, Disease Prevention, Chronic Disease Management and Community Rehabilitation | Download |
中醫服務在基層醫療中的作用 | 下載 |
Topic | Presentation File |
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Introduction of DHC Scheme | Download |
DHC Service and Client Journey | Download |
DHC IT system | Download |
Updates on eHRSS | Please visit www.eHealth.gov.hk |
Contact Us
E-mail: pho@fhb.gov.hkFAQ
- 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.
- 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.
- is a holder of the Hong Kong Identity Card issued under the Registration of Persons Ordinance (Cap. 177, the Laws of Hong Kong), 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 a resident in the district of the corresponding DHC.