Current Issues in Health Services Management

The Hong Kong SAR Government released a consultation paper in July 2005 entitled “Building a Healthy Tomorrow: Discussion Paper on the Future Service Delivery Model for our Health Care System”. The paper (1) re-emphasize the importance of primary medical care, and (2) the need to ensure that resources to the secondary and tertiary care sectors are deployed in the most appropriate manner and for those in genuine need. The Paper, however, does not include concrete measures on how to achieve these two objectives.

Assuming that the PolyU MSc Current Issues in Health Services Management class has been appointed by the Hong Kong SAR Government as a Study Group to advise the Secretary for Health Welfare and Food on health care reform. The Study Group has formed two subgroups -- one reviewing primary care, and the other reviewing secondary and tertiary care. Both subgroups have examined the strengths and weaknesses of the existing Hong Kong health care system, and have studied the health care systems and health care reform initiatives of other countries. As member of the Study Group, you are asked to prepare a draft report on what Hong Kong should do in light of the analyses of the two subgroups, with reference to the evidence collected, relevant health economic theories, the practices and experience of other countries regarding, as well as the characteristics of the Hong Kong society regarding:

(a) the development of primary care; and

(b) the restructuring of the financing and delivery of secondary and tertiary care.