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Inadequate education on primary care for both citizens and professionals, and the
importance of early health-seeking were cited as contributors to the behaviours observed.
Interviewees highlighted the imminent need to improve health literacy in the population.

Stakeholders’ voices

This is a big issue, and you can’t have a quick fix for it (PHC
development), because it is not just the service provision itself, it is
concerning… people’s mindset [to push PHC development]. Not only
the mindset of the Hong Kong citizens, but also the mindset of all
professionals. So, it is a very difficult situation, and it takes time to
change them.
NGO representative
Hong Kong people have not grown accustomed to family
doctors, and it is hard to force them to have one immediately.
This problem can only be resolved with further education
about our healthcare system.
Patient group representative

Subtheme 1.2 – The role of the private sector is yet to be fully leveraged. With roughly
half of the total number of doctors in Hong Kong, the private sector has much to offer if its
resources were to be more strategically allocated. Yet, stakeholders mentioned and criticised
restrictions on the flow of both patients and physicians between the public and private
sectors, which they deemed as the major causes of resource duplication. They called for
the removal of these barriers to enhance the role of private institutions in
healthcare delivery.

Stakeholders’ voices

It really, I think, requires a very fundamental change of mindset of thinking
the two systems as separate. I think we need to reconsider the two as part of
the same system... and rethink how we can channel resources and patients
and services to the other parts of the system, and at the same time how we
can actually link them (the public and the private sector) together.
Academic

I think the solution is either to give the Hospital
Authority more money, which is difficult, or try to
engage the private sector a bit better.

Professional body representative

The Government should allow patient flow between the
public and private sectors. The clear separation between
the two systems prohibits public hospitals from taking
care of private patients and vice versa.
Academic

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