MSC Platforms

The Hospital Authority (HA) is facing major sustainability challenges in the midst of escalating service demand from a growing and ageing population along with the rising prevalence of chronic disease, outstripping the service supply under resource constraints. To move towards sustainable healthcare in the years ahead, HA aims to re-orientate the service delivery model to help patients stay healthy in the community, thus reducing their need for hospital care. Through different deliberation platforms, clinical teams have also indicated that patients’ multi-faceted needs could be better met through collaboration with community partners, particularly on enhancing post-discharge support to the patients and their carers in the community. Besides, it is also reflected that MSC is important for better preparing the patient for foreseeable deterioration due to life threatening conditions to facilitate care in place, improve their quality of care and reduce the future health care burden. To this end, emphasis has been put on enhancing MSC in HA Strategic Plan and various Strategic Service Frameworks to optimise demand management and mobilise community resources to better support our patients. Moreover, enhancing community-based care through MSC is one of the key strategies recommended by the Task Group on Sustainability.

With a view to better utilising existing community resources and preparing for further service improvements when additional resources are available, the Framework sets out four strategic directions for HA to drive and develop MSC by phases, in terms of governance and cluster coordination, service model, community partnership and performance monitoring.
Through MSC, more coordinated medical and social care services can be provided according to patient needs across the care continuum from hospital into the community.