Henry Fan: Patient well-being as the sole priority
As the Analects says: "At thirty, I was well-established. At forty, I had no doubts." For an organisation, celebrating its 35th anniversary marks a critical moment of building on the past and pioneering the future: Having established a mature and solid foundation, it now faces the task of leading the organisation forward. Prior to the establishment of the HA in 1991, government and subvented hospitals operated under separate management systems, resulting in inconsistent service standards and difficulties in resources allocation. The HA successfully integrated public hospital management, unfolding a new era of healthcare development in Hong Kong.
Over the past three decades, the HA has remained dedicated to building a highly efficient healthcare system that raises local medical quality to world-class standards. Today, in the face of escalating medical demands, ensuring sustainability is our utmost priority. HA Chairman Henry Fan emphasises, "no matter what challenges lie ahead, the HA will always remain steadfast in delivering people-centred care. We value patient well-being above all else."
More precise services following fees and charges reform
The HA has consistently ranked at the top of the Bloomberg Healthcare Efficiency Index, recognised as one of the most efficient healthcare systems in the world. Serving as a robust safety net for public health, as of June, over 260,000 medical fee waiver applications have been approved after the fees and charges reform (reform) launched at the start of this year. It is nearly 19 times the 14,000 recipients recorded in the full year prior to the reform. Henry explains that the reform was not designed to generate revenue, but to strengthen protection for poor, acute, serious, and critical patients. "Our services have become more precise following the reform. Taking A&E services as an example, semi-urgent and non-urgent cases dropped by 7% in the first eight months of this year, while reducing the average waiting times for urgent cases. This illustrates the initial success of the reform."
Attracting talent, boosting efficiency
Facing the challenges of an ageing population and the earlier onset of chronic diseases, coupled with the upcoming completion of multiple hospital redevelopment and construction projects, the demand for medical services continues to escalate. To address this, Henry notes that the HA ensures institutional sustainability through a multipronged approach. The HA is actively recruiting local medical graduates alongside non-locally trained doctors and nurses. Concurrently, it is expanding senior positions such as consultants and nurse consultants to retain experienced staff and attract other talent to the field.
The HA is also optimising clinical efficiency. For instance, adopting a high-volume cataract surgery model to streamline workflows and increase throughput, thereby shortening patient waiting times. The HA will explore expanding this high-volume surgery model to suitable hospitals to better manage the service needs.
Smart healthcare: A win-win for doctors and patients
In recent years, the HA has vigorously promoted smart care. Its mobile app 'HA Go' constantly introduces new features to enhance patients' self-care capabilities, reducing the demand for inpatient or specialist outpatient services at source. As of March this year, 'HA Go' recorded 4.5 million downloads. Additionally, utilising artificial intelligence (AI) to draft medical reports helps reduce administrative workloads for healthcare staff, allowing them to focus more on clinical care.
Nevertheless, Henry emphasises that technology only serves as an enabling tool. The people-centred approach remains core, now and always: "There are many critical decisions in the medical process that rely on the professional judgment of healthcare professionals, which AI cannot replace." On the occasion of the HA's 35th anniversary, Henry expresses his gratitude to colleagues for their selflessness, dedication, professionalism, and passion, which drive the HA toward a bright future.
