Vision and Future Development of Primary Care in Hong Kong

Abstract

This year is the 40th anniversary of the Alma-Ata Declaration on Primary Health Care by WHO-UNICEF at the International Conference on Primary Health Care (PHC) in 1978 and the 10th anniversary of the WHO 2008 World Health Report “Primary Health Care – Now More than Ever. The Alma-Ata Declaration set the vision of health for all and identified PHC as the key to achieve this goal. The WHO 2008 World Health Report stressed the need of quality PHC that is equitable and responsive. Primary care in Hong Kong has come a long way since 1978 especially in the past decade since the WHO 2008 World Health Report coupled with the Hong Kong Healthcare Reform. Local research over the years has demonstrated primary care coordinated by the family doctor achieved the best outcomes in promoting a healthy lifestyle, access to primary care, reduction in accident and emergency attendance and hospitalisation, better patient enablement and more improvement in overall health condition. We have proven that multidisciplinary primary care can save lives as well as money in the care of chronic diseases. Quality primary care for all in Hong Kong should be our vision. To achieve this vision, we need to ensure everyone has a family doctor, every family doctor is enabled, empowered and engaged in providing best primary care, and primary care is adequately supported by the necessary multidisciplinary services and resources. The Hospital Authority plays a key role in assuring quality primary care for all through the provision of sufficient family medicine training posts, inclusion of the personal family doctor in the care plan, leadership in service innovation, benchmarking performance indicators and being the safety net.