The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA) welcomed the passage of the Nurses Registration (Amendment) Bill 2023 at the Legislative Council today (July 17), which opens up new pathways for admitting eligible non-locally trained nurses to practice in Hong Kong. The HA will fully support the Government's policy by proactively launching promotions in different countries and regions and actively recruiting more non-locally trained nurses to alleviate the pressure on public hospitals.

     "The amended Bill will help the HA to expand the source of nursing manpower supply so as to maintain the sustainability of public healthcare services. In view of the aging population and increasing demand for healthcare services, the HA has proceeded with the two Hospital Development Plans to increase hardware facilities and the service capacity of public healthcare. In addition, to continuously attracting local healthcare talent, the HA can also recruit more eligible non-locally trained nurses through the new limited registration/enrolment and special registration/enrolment pathways to cope with the increasing service needs," an HA spokesperson said.

     "The HA is planning to visit various countries and regions, including Singapore this month and Malaysia in August, to promote this new policy and introduce development opportunities in our public hospitals in order to attract eligible non-locally trained nurses to practice in Hong Kong. The HA will have dedicated staff to provide one-stop support and counselling services to interested applicants, including offering employment information, following up on enquiries and handling related applications."

     In addition, the HA has been encouraging professional exchanges between local nurses and their counterparts worldwide, including the Greater Bay Area Specialty Nursing Knowledge-exchange Programme launched earlier. The HA will actively reach out to healthcare professional institutions and organisations in different countries and regions to promulgate the policy, as well as to explore various forms of exchange programmes under the new registration/enrolment system, in a view to enhancing the overall standard of the nursing profession.

     The spokesperson emphasised that locally trained healthcare professionals remain the cornerstone of the public healthcare service. The HA will continue to prioritise the recruitment of suitable locally trained nurses, while also adopting various human resource initiatives, which include continuous enhancement of professional development, training opportunities and career ladders of nursing staff, as well as continue the recruitment of full-time and part-time nurses and the Special Retired and Rehire Scheme, etc, to increase and retain nursing manpower.

Ends/Wednesday, July 17, 2024
Issued at HKT 17:00

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