More hospitals join Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine Pilot programme

Four more hospitals - Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin Hospital, Kwong Wah Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital – joined the Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine (ICWM) Pilot Programme in December 2015 to offer stroke care, acute low back pain care and cancer palliative care to eligible public hospital inpatients, bringing the number of hospitals participating in the ICWM Pilot Programme to seven in total.

The Hospital Authority is collaborating with the tripartite Chinese Medicine Centres for Training and Research (CMCTR) to implement an ICWM Pilot Programme in designated hospitals. Phase I commenced in September 2014 at Tung Wah Hospital, Tuen Mun Hospital and Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital. Given the smooth operation and satisfactory progress of the first phase, as reflected in the positive patient response to the Programme and a general improvement in their medical conditions, HA decided to expand the list of participating hospitals.

To enhance staff’s knowledge of the Programme’s logistics and strengthen mutual understanding between Western and Chinese medicine practitioners, HA has organised a series of briefing and training sessions for relevant staff members which include commissioning local tertiary education institutions to provide intermediate training programmes on CM Nursing and CM Pharmacy since mid-2015, in addition to the CM Training Programme for Medical and Healthcare Professionals organised yearly from 2004.

HA has also enhanced its monitoring on Chinese medicine safety. An Expert Panel on CM safety for ICWM Pilot Projects has been formed to provide recommendations on known Chinese medicines toxicity matters and herb-drug interactions.