In search of doctors with limited registration to relieve frontline stress

Twin challenges of ageing population and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases cause escalating demand on healthcare services. In addition to actively recruiting local full-time and part-time doctors, Hospital Authority (HA) has recruited non-locally trained doctors with limited registration since 2011/12 so as to fill the gap of shortage of doctors. By extending the scope of recruitment under Limited Registration Scheme, setting up mechanisms to ensure service quality and engaging internal and external stakeholders, HA hopes to attract more non-locally trained doctors to work in HA in order to support service needs and relieve the workload of frontline medical teams.

According to Medical Registration Ordinance in Hong Kong, non-locally trained doctors who fulfil requirements and are approved by The Medical Council of Hong Kong (MCHK) can practise with limited registration here if they are employed by designated public organisations such as HA, Department of Health and the two medical schools. They cannot practise in any other private institutions.

Last year, Legislative Council endorsed the extension of terms of registration of doctors with limited registration up to three years. This has attracted more overseas applicants.

Dr Sharon Wong, Chief Manager (Medical Grade), points out that, HA will continue the recruitment of non-locally trained doctors in 2019/20 and expand the scope of recruitment under Limited Registration Scheme. Apart from recruiting non-locally trained doctors at the rank of Resident for all specialties in need, HA will also recruit non-locally trained specialist doctors at the rank of Associate Consultant for eight specialties, including Anaesthesia, Anatomical Pathology, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Ear, Nose & Throat, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, Radiology and Nuclear Medicine to relieve the shortage of specialists.

In the meantime, HA is very concerned with the training and career advancement opportunities provided for non-locally trained doctors in order to ensure service quality and attract them to continuously serve in Hong Kong. Dr Wong expresses that HA will discuss the details of on-the-job training with respective Colleges under Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (HKAM). “We will also provide promotion mechanism for non-locally trained doctors. In future, Residents will have the chance to be promoted to Associate Consultant if they obtain specialist qualification and possess five or more years of clinical experience.”

Dr Wong stresses that all resources for employing non-locally trained doctors are additional funding and do not affect the promotion opportunities of locally trained doctors and employment opportunities of local medical graduates.

In addition, HA will continue to communicate with different stakeholders, including HA coordinating committees of various specialties, Doctors Staff Group Consultative Committee and cluster colleagues, to explain the concept and details of the scheme and to mobilise their support. For external communication, HA will stay in close contact with the Government, MCHK, HKAM and overseas medical societies to exchange views and reinforce the promotion of the scheme. HA representatives will pay overseas visits to meet doctors and medical students who study abroad, introduce the healthcare development of Hong Kong, and respond to potential applicants’ enquires. This September, HA is planning to join the Food and Health Bureau’s visit to Australia for a recruitment talk.

For more details of the scheme, such as the qualification, remuneration and application procedures, please visit HA’s webpage Opportunities for Non-locally Trained Doctors in HA.