The Health Bureau announced today that from October 6, only doctors listed in the Primary Care Directory will be allowed to take part in government-subsidised primary healthcare programmes, including the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme (EHVS), the Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme(CRCSP) and the General Outpatient Clinic Public-Private Partnership Programme (GOPC PPP).

Those who are yet to be named in the directory by the end of the two-month grace period, ie December 6 and thereafter, will no longer be able to offer their patients subsidised services under the three programmes.

The bureau advised patients to enquire with their doctors or check online to confirm if their doctors are listed in the directory, in order to ascertain whether they can still receive subsidised services via the same doctor in the future.

The Primary Healthcare Blueprint recommends the compulsory listing of all healthcare professionals who provide primary healthcare services in the directory.

At present, it is a requirement for doctors participating in the government-subsidised Vaccination Subsidy Scheme, the Residential Care Home Vaccination Programme, District Health Centre services, and the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme about to be launched in the fourth quarter this year, to be listed in the directory.

Under the latest arrangement, the Government will extend the relevant requirement to cover all government-subsidised primary healthcare programmes, ie including the EHVS, the CRCSP and the GOPC PPP.

Such standardisation can ensure that doctors participating in the programmes are receiving continuing medical education relevant to their disciplines, thus enhancing the quality assurance of primary healthcare services, the bureau explained.

By the end of August, 3,337 doctors were listed in the directory. The Government urges all doctors to complete the enrolment as early as possible so that they can continue to engage in the subsidised programmes.