Mechanism of reportable events by private healthcare facilities extended to Day Procedure Centres

     The Department of Health (DH) today (September 15) said that the regular publication of statistics for sentinel events and serious untoward events for private healthcare facilities on the website of the Office for Regulation of Private Healthcare Facilities (ORPHF) of the DH will cover licensed day procedure centres (DPC) apart from private hospitals starting from September this year.

     Enacted in 2018, the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (Cap. 633) aims to introduce a premises-based regulatory regime for different types of private healthcare facilities to protect patients' safety and rights. To further enhance patient safety in DPCs through the identification and reduction of risks, with effect from July 1, all DPCs are required to report the events specified in the Code of Practice for Day Procedure Centres issued by the Director of Health to the DH within the specified time frame. The DH has conducted several briefing sessions since March this year for DPCs to know more about the reporting system as well as relevant procedures and requirements.
      
     Similar to the practice of reportable events occurring in private hospitals, the DH will regularly upload the related statistics and information of the reportable events occurring in DPCs onto the website of the ORPHF. The latest statistics and information of the reportable events of private hospitals and DPCs for July 2023 have been uploaded to the website.