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In 2011, PCO launched the Primary Care Directory (the Directory), an accessible
electronic database that provides the public and healthcare service providers practice-based
information and professional qualification of primary care providers in the community. PCO
was further integrated with the PHO under the Food and Health Bureau in 2019, with the
latter operating on an initiative-based model revolving around DHCs, reference frameworks,
the Directory, primary care, family doctor and medicine promotion, and enhancing the
integration across disciplines, sectors and organisations.

As an effort to steer PHC development forward in Hong Kong, a Steering Committee
on Primary Healthcare Development chaired by the Secretary for Food and Health
was established in 2017. The Committee is committed to developing a blueprint for the
sustainable development of PHC through five domains: manpower and infrastructure
planning, collaboration model, community engagement, planning and evaluation framework,
and strategy formulation (FHB, n.d.-b; HKSARG, 2020b). Nevertheless, a comprehensive
vision and timetable have yet to be announced (at the time of writing).

The setting up of District Health Centres (DHCs) is a major milestone in the PHC
development in Hong Kong. In the 2017 Policy Address, the Chief Executive announced a
plan of DHCs to further drive medical-social collaboration in providing PHC (Legislative
Council Panel on Health Services, 2018a). Targeting a reduction of unnecessary hospital
utilisation, DHCs seek to raise public awareness of personal health management, enhance
disease prevention, and strengthen medical and rehabilitation services in the community.
Based on the unique needs of populations within respective districts, its key service
packages include: health promotion, health assessment, chronic disease management, and
community rehabilitation. The first DHC in Hong Kong situated in Kwai Tsing District
commenced operation in September 2019, followed by the second DHC in Sham Shui Po in
2021. Five more districts will witness the establishment of their own DHCs within the term of
the current Government (ending 30th June 2022), with an additional 11 “DHC Express” to be
rolled out in other districts as an interim measure pending the establishment of full-scale
DHCs (Legislative Council of the HKSAR, 2021).

With these more recent strides and leveraging on this momentum to propel PHC
development in Hong Kong, there is an opportunity to provide a clearer and more
comprehensive view of how PHC development can be accelerated in Hong Kong.

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