The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hong Kong Children's Hospital (HKCH) will tomorrow (December 18) commence provision of clinical services by phases starting which will be marked by the commissioning of specialist outpatient clinics for oncology, nephrology, and metabolic medicine. Pathology, radiology and pharmacy departments will also begin operation in parallel to support the clinical service provision.

     The Hospital Chief Executive of HKCH, Dr Lee Tsz-leung said, "Service commissioning by phases allows us adequate time for running through the service models and clinical workflow to ensure patient safety, service quality and smoothness of operation."

     HKCH is the tertiary referral centre providing multidisciplinary management for complex, serious and uncommon paediatric diseases, including diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation services for clinically-indicated patients below 18 across the territory.

     The first patients coming to HKCH's specialist outpatient clinics will be follow-up cases currently under the care of Princess Margaret Hospital's paediatric nephrology team, or the children's cancer centres of Queen Mary Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital. The metabolic medicine clinic will provide follow-up services for babies with abnormal findings under the Government's newborn screening programme for inborn errors of metabolism.

     Other outpatient clinics and inpatient services for oncology, nephrology, paediatric surgery as well as the paediatric intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit, cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery will be commissioned gradually in 2019.

     "There is no accident and emergency department or general outpatient clinic in HKCH. In the initial phase, we will only provide follow-up services in the specialist outpatient clinics for patients with specific clinical conditions. New case referral will not be accepted for the time being," Dr Lee added.

     HKCH is located at 1 Shing Cheong Road in Kai Tak Development Area of Kowloon Bay. Hospital service information and latest news are available at www.ha.org.hk/hkch.

Ends/Monday, December 17, 2018
Issued at HKT 16:03

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