Following is a question by the Hon Leung Che-cheung and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, in the Legislative Council today (July 7):
 
Question:
 
     Given that some Hong Kong people in Guangdong Province have been, due to the epidemic, unable to return to Hong Kong as usual for attending follow-up consultations at the outpatient clinics of the Hospital Authority (HA), the Government launched a Special Support Scheme in November last year, under which the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU Shenzhen Hospital) has been commissioned to provide subsidised follow-up consultation services for chronic disease patients who are in Guangdong Province and have made appointments for attending follow-up consultations at designated specialist outpatient clinics or general outpatient clinics of the HA, until July 31 this year or the lapse of the quarantine arrangements in Hong Kong and on the Mainland (whichever is earlier). However, as psychiatric specialist outpatient services are not included in the Special Support Scheme, coupled with the Mainland authorities' prohibition of posting psychiatric medications into the Mainland, it is difficult for the patients concerned to receive diagnosis and treatment and obtain the relevant medications on the Mainland. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) in respect of the HA patients in Guangdong Province who are in stable conditions and need to take certain psychiatric medications on a long-term basis, whether the Government will deliver through official channels the psychiatric medications regularly prescribed for them by the HA doctors to the HKU Shenzhen Hospital for collection and use by such patients; if so, of the detailed arrangements; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(2) of the number of person-times of Hong Kong people who have been diagnosed and treated under the Special Support Scheme since its launch, with a breakdown by specialist outpatient and general outpatient services;
 
(3) given that there is no definite time for the resumption of normal traveller clearance between Hong Kong and the Mainland, whether the Government will extend the Special Support Scheme and expand its coverage to include outpatient consultation services of more specialties (such as psychiatry); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(4) whether the Government will, in the long run, regularise the Special Support Scheme for the convenience of those Hong Kong people residing on the Mainland?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     My reply to the various parts of the question raised by the Hon Leung Che-cheung is as follows:
 
(1) and (2) On November 10, 2020, the Government launched a Special Support Scheme under which the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH) has been appointed to provide subsidised follow-up consultation services for patients with scheduled appointments at designated specialist outpatient clinics or general outpatient clinics under the Hospital Authority (HA). As at late June 2021, the HKU-SZH received and processed around 16 100 applications and scheduled about 22 800 medical appointments for eligible patients, among which about 19 100 medical consultations had been conducted. Among the medical appointments scheduled, around 14 860 appointments were made with the Family Medicine Clinics (Chronic Diseases), while about 7 960 appointments were made with other specialist clinics.
 
     The Government introduced the special scheme on delivering prescription medications to Hong Kong people in Guangdong and Fujian with urgent need for medications in February 2020 as a temporary measure to address the needs of Hong Kong residents living in the Mainland who might be running out of prescription medications. As the Government has introduced the aforementioned Special Support Scheme and the "Return2hk" scheme in November 2020, the special scheme to deliver prescription medications has ceased in December 2020. For the sake of their health, patients are urged to consult a doctor as soon as possible if they have not attended medical consultations for a long time.
 
(3) Given that the compulsory quarantine measures in both Hong Kong and the Mainland are not yet relaxed completely, the Government has extended the Special Support Scheme to November 9 this year to ensure that the health conditions of patients concerned are effectively monitored and taken care of in a continued and co-ordinated manner. Eligible persons may receive medical consultations at the HKU-SZH before November 9 this year or until the lapse of the quarantine requirement in both Hong Kong and the Mainland (whichever is earlier). The scope of service and subsidy under the Special Support Scheme remain unchanged. 
 
     While the Special Support Scheme aims to provide an alternative choice of medical services for patients under the epidemic, patients may also return to Hong Kong for follow-up consultation at the HA clinics if circumstances permit. As for the proposal of expanding the coverage to include outpatient service in psychiatry under the Special Support Scheme, such proposal would not be feasible since psychiatric specialist outpatient service is currently not available at the HKU-SZH.
 
(4) In examining public-private partnership involving cross-boundary healthcare services, the Government and the HA will carefully consider relevant factors including potential complexity of the programmes, differences in healthcare systems between the Mainland and Hong Kong, as well as the capacity and readiness of relevant healthcare institutions. Taking into account the experience gained in the Special Support Scheme, the Government and the HA will continue to communicate with the relevant stakeholders (including members of the public, patient groups and healthcare institutions) to explore the feasibility of introducing partnership for cross-boundary healthcare services in future.

     The 2020 Annual Report of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Complaints Committee was tabled in the Legislative Council today (July 7). The report gives a summary of the Committee's work in 2020.
 
     The Committee is tasked with the responsibility of monitoring the handling of non-criminal complaints against the ICAC and its officers. The Committee takes an independent view on the ICAC's investigation findings on the complaints received, reviews the ICAC's procedures which may lead to complaints, and makes recommendations for improvement.
 
     In 2020, the Committee received 12 complaints involving 26 allegations against the ICAC or its officers. Among the allegations registered in 2020, 57 per cent were related to neglect of duties by ICAC officers, 27 per cent to misconduct, and eight per cent to abuse of power. The remaining eight per cent were related to inadequacies of ICAC procedures. 

     The ICAC submits investigation reports to the Committee after conducting full investigations on complaint cases, while assessment reports are submitted for complaints which do not warrant full investigation. During 2020, the Committee considered the investigation reports of 11 complaint cases received in 2019 or 2020. These complaints contained a total of 21 allegations. Three allegations in three of these complaints were found to be substantiated concerning a total of four ICAC officers. As a result, one officer was given a written warning, two officers were given verbal warnings and one officer was given advice by senior officers. During the year, the Committee also considered and endorsed one assessment report. A preliminary assessment showed that the complainant repeated a complaint previously disposed of through the Committee, and the Committee agreed that no further investigative actions should be taken.
 
     In the course of considering the complaints, both the Committee and the ICAC have scrutinised the internal procedures, guidelines and practices of the ICAC. After careful examination of the issues identified in the investigation reports considered during 2020, the ICAC had organised a number of briefing sessions and strengthened the training programmes for frontline officers to enhance their professionalism and vigilance in discharging their duties. ICAC officers were advised to inform complainants of the investigation outcomes of their reports as soon as practicable, treat members of the public and government counterparts with courtesy and respect, and handle properties seized during search operations with great care. Furthermore, arising from the Committee's concern over certain investigation practices, the ICAC had reminded frontline officers to be more prudent in picking the appropriate time of the day to make contact with complainants regarding their reports and explain clearly to witnesses invited for interviews their roles in relevant investigations in order to avoid misunderstandings.
   
     The annual report of the Committee is available on the Administration Wing's website (www.admwing.gov.hk/eng/links/icac.htm) and also at the ICAC's regional offices.

The following is issued on behalf of the Office of The Ombudsman:

     The Office of The Ombudsman received a record-breaking 29,814 complaints in the year 2020-21, according to its Annual Report published today (July 7).

     The Ombudsman, Ms Winnie Chiu, said, "The profound impact of COVID-19 on all quarters of the community was evident throughout the past year. We find that effective public communication by government and public bodies is crucial. Dissemination of clear and timely information about changes to public service is vital to managing public expectations and boosting public confidence. Public service providers need to be agile and flexible to adjust their services in light of the changing circumstances and the lessons learned on the way." 

     The number of complaints received was up by 50.8 per cent over the 19,767 in 2019-20. Among the 29,814 complaints, there were 25,155 secondary cases in topical complaints, which was also an historic high. Issues bringing in a considerable amount of complaints in the year included the Government's alleged inaction against a tomb on government land, the handling of the pandemic as well as public service disruptions under COVID-19. Setting aside topical complaints, the number of "normal complaints" (i.e. complaints received excluding secondary cases) received was actually on par with that of recent years.

     Among the complaints received, 167 complaints were concluded by the way of full investigation and 79 (47.3 per cent) of these cases were substantiated, partially substantiated or unsubstantiated but with other inadequacies found. Among the 2,480 inquiry cases concluded, inadequacies or deficiencies were found in 357 (14.4 per cent). Meanwhile, the Office completed nine direct investigations in the year.

     During the year, the Office made a total of 194 recommendations upon completion of its full investigations and direct investigations. Of these, a total of 172 (88.7 per cent) were accepted by the organisations for implementation while 22 (11.3 per cent) were under consideration as at June 30, 2021.
 
     The number of cases concluded by mediation climbed from 149 in 2019-20 to 179 cases in 2020-21, representing 6.3 per cent of the total number of cases pursued and concluded in the year. The average processing time of mediation was around 12 days. Of the successfully mediated cases in the year, over 56 per cent and 93 per cent were resolved within 10 days and less than one month, respectively. Of those complainants who responded to the Office's questionnaires, over 88 per cent had positive feedback on the mediation service.
 
     During the year, the Office received a total of 110 complaints about access to information (ATI), which is a record high. The Office considered this a reflection of rising public expectations for an open and accountable Government. Among the 136 ATI complaints concluded, inadequacies were found in 58 cases (43 per cent).

     The full text of the Annual Report can be viewed or downloaded from the Office of The Ombudsman website at www.ombudsman.hk.

  

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (July 7) that due to big waves, red flags have been hoisted at Stanley Main Beach, Shek O Beach and Big Wave Bay Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island; Hung Shing Yeh Beach and Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach in Islands District; and Clear Water Bay Second Beach in Sai Kung District.  Beachgoers are advised not to swim at these beaches.

     Owing to the thunderstorm warning, the flag-raising ceremony to be conducted at Golden Bauhinia Square, Wan Chai at 8am today (July 7) will be cancelled.