he Tin Shui Wai Primary Care Partnership Project (TSWPPP) programme in the New Territories West Cluster has been a milestone in the reform of Hong Kong's healthcare services, because it offers an innovative model for the way the private and public healthcare sectors can join forces to provide primary care to the town's residents.

Besides increasing the number of choices available to patients, the programme redirects the flow of them from public to private healthcare providers, thereby easing the burden on public hospitals and enhancing the quality of their General Outpatient Clinic services. At the same time, it helps to foster the family medicine model in community care.

To ensure its smooth launch, the programme's team members worked in close partnership with private healthcare providers and HAHO. They also put considerable effort into many aspects of coordination and communication, logistical arrangements, data-updating and support. Afterwards, the TSWPPP Working Group was established to conduct population analysis and marketing activities, design the programme's logistics and enrol private medical practitioners and patients. In addition, it has been evaluating the programme's clinical performance by continuously monitoring outcome indicators.

The TSWPPP pools the expertise and resources of the public and private sectors in order to provide primary care services for local patients. It is testimony to the HA's value: "Quality Patient-Centred Care through Teamwork". The programme's successful implementation has been due to the concerted efforts and close cooperation of all our colleagues who have been involved in it.