Introducing a statutory registration regime for healthcare professions
Mr Chan Chun-ying:
Thank you, President. According to the Bureau’s main reply, when deciding whether to implement the mandatory statutory registration regime, the main consideration is whether the healthcare service in question is invasive or of a higher risk. It is also mentioned in the last paragraph of the main reply that the Government will continue to keep in view the actual situation of the healthcare professions and consider suitable regulatory regimes. Currently, the services of some healthcare professions which do not belong to Western medicine, such as chiropractors, are sought after by a large number of people. The relevant healthcare procedures may not necessarily be invasion, but still entail certain risks. I would like to ask the Bureau whether it would assess the risk level of various services and decide whether a mandatory registration regime will be implemented based on the complaints lodged against the healthcare services and the severity of such complaints. Thank you.
Secretary for Health:
President, currently, chiropractor is one of the 13 healthcare professions under the regulation by law. We understand that chiropractic services entail certain risks, which is why they have been included in the scope of legal regulation.