The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government intends to thoroughly reform the city’s medical complaints-handling process to expedite investigations and further enhance professional standards, according to an HKSAR government spokesman.
The spokesman made the statement on Sunday as he welcomed the Medical Council of Hong Kong (MCHK) decision to suspend a pediatrician for nine months for professional misconduct in a case involving a newborn baby who developed cerebral palsy in 2009.
An inquiry panel found that the pediatrician’s testimony was not credible and that he failed to conduct necessary exams after the baby first had a seizure, local media reported.
“The government respects the judgment made by the inquiry panel and stresses that the conclusion of the inquiry process helps clarify the facts of the incident and avoids the pressure on both the doctor and the patient’s family arising from a prolonged wait for the inquiry,” the spokesman said.
He added that relevant departments will continue to follow up on the boy’s medical and welfare needs.
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The spokesman noted that Medical Registration (Amendment) Bill 2026, which aims to help the MCHK to more effectively maintain professional conduct and enhance professional standards, will be introduced in the Legislative Council for first reading on Wednesday.
“The bill puts forth a series of recommendations to reform the complaint handling mechanism, in particular a thorough reform to target the pain points that led to the delay in the (boy’s) case, to ensure justice, maintain professionalism and protect the public,” the spokesman said.
He said the bill recommends renaming the Preliminary Investigation Committee as the Medical Investigation Committee (MIC) and the Inquiry Panel as the Medical Tribunal Panel (MTP), both to be led by independent assessors appointed by the SAR government, with at least three of all five members to be independent assessors rather than having MCHK members as the majority.
The maximum number of independent medical assessors and lay assessors nominated will be increased to 110 and 170, respectively, further showcasing independence and impartiality in the procedures, the spokesman said.
He said the bill also provides the MIC with investigative power and professional legal support to expedite investigations, while removing a backward referral mechanism from an MTP to an MIC for more efficient case management.
Under the bill, the MCHK may issue practice directions for inquiry procedures and devise and promulgate target timeframes for procedures during the different stages in handling complaints.
It also enhances the review and appeal mechanism, allowing both the complainant and the respondent to apply for a review of an inquiry’s outcome to enhance fairness in the proceedings, the spokesman added.