Overview of the Regulation of Private Healthcare Facilities
Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (Cap. 633)
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”.
- 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.
- 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.
Clinic Licence Application Exemption for Small Practice Clinic
Note
If a scheduled medical procedure is / will be conducted in a private healthcare facility, the operators of the facility need to obtain a Day Procedure Centre licence.