Text Size

Introduction of regulation, licensed Private Healthcare Facilities and exempted clinics

The Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (Cap. 633) (“PHFO”) was gazetted on 30 November 2018. The Ordinance protects patient safety and rights through the introduction of a new regulatory regime for private healthcare facilities (“PHFs”). Four types of PHFs are subject to regulation, namely hospitals, day procedure centres, clinics and health services establishments. The Government is implementing the regulatory regime in phases based on the types of PHFs and their risk levels.

Simple Guide to the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance

Background of the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance

Types of private healthcare facilities

  • Premises where medical practitioners and/or dentists practise; and
  • Provides lodging or medical procedures to patients with duration more than 12 hours or provides hospital-only medical procedures stipulated in the “Code of Practice for Day Procedure Centres”.

Licence

  • Application for licences for private hospitals commenced on 2 July 2019.
  • Hospital licences under the new regime took effect on 1 January 2021.
  • Premises where registered medical practitioners and/or dentists practise;
  • Provides medical services without lodging;
  • Continuous confinement of patients within the facility should not exceed 12 hours;
  • Provides scheduled medical procedures (please refer to Section 2 of and Schedule 3 to the PHFO);
  • Not providing the hospital-only medical procedures stipulated in the “Code of Practice for Day Procedure Centres”; and
  • Not forming part of the premises of a hospital.

Licence

  • Application for licences for day procedure centre commenced on 2 January 2020.
  • The first batch of day procedure centre licences under the PHFO took effect on 1 January 2021.
  • Penalty provision pertaining to the operation of a day procedure centre without a licence commenced on 30 June 2022.
  • Any person operating a day procedure centre without a licence commits an offence and is liable on conviction on indictment to a fine at level 6 and to imprisonment for 3 years.
  • Premises where registered medical practitioners and/or dentists practise;
  • Provides medical services without lodging;
  • Continuous confinement of patients within the clinic should not exceed 12 hours;
  • Not providing scheduled medical procedures (please refer to Section 2 of and Schedule 3 to the PHFO) or the hospital-only medical procedures stipulated in the “Code of Practice for Day Procedure Centres”; and
  • Not forming part of the premises of a hospital, a day procedure centre or an outreach facility.

Licence and Letter of Exemption

  • Application for clinic licences and requests for letters of exemption for small practice clinic commenced on 13 October 2025.

Implementation Timetable

Promotional Materials

Videos Leaflets


Click here for more details of the regulation of PHFs.