Hong Kong authorities have announced plans to reform the city’s Medical Council by increasing the proportion of lay members to one-third, expanding the council’s size, and shortening the complaint-handling process. The proposed changes, unveiled on June 26, aim to enhance transparency and efficiency in the medical regulatory framework.

Under the current structure, the Medical Council comprises 32 members, including 24 doctors and eight lay members. The government’s proposal would expand the council to 35 members, with lay representation rising from eight to 11, or roughly 31 percent. In addition to doctors, the revamped council would include other healthcare professionals such as nurses, dentists, and physiotherapists. The primary healthcare commissioner would join as an ex officio member to provide guidance on care for underprivileged populations. All elected or nominated doctor members would require appointment by the chief executive.

The reform also proposes to broaden institutional nomination rights. Alongside the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the newly established medical school at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology would gain the ability to nominate council representatives. The pool of independent adjudicators for handling complaints would be significantly expanded to 280, comprising 110 doctors and 170 lay members.

Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau said the overhaul aims to ensure the regulatory system keeps pace with modern expectations while supporting the council’s statutory mission to uphold justice, professionalism, and public protection. He emphasised that the changes seek to rebuild trust between patients and doctors by streamlining complaint investigations and making inquiry timelines public. The average duration for handling complaints, previously about 42 months, would be reduced to an estimated 29 months under the new measures.

The planned legislative amendments to the Medical Registration Ordinance will be introduced for first reading at the Legislative Council on July 8.

The overhaul follows public criticism over the Medical Council’s previous handling of a complaint involving Dr Sit Souchi, who was accused of a medical error in 2009 that left a child permanently disabled. The case experienced a 15-year delay and was initially terminated before the council reversed course and resumed its inquiry after public uproar.

Significant disciplinary reforms are also proposed. The government recommends replacing the current probation option with four distinct penalty levels: reprimand, restriction of practice, suspension from the medical register, and permanent removal from the register. Doctors convicted of national security offences or serious crimes such as violent, sexual, or practice-related offenses would face immediate and permanent disqualification.

A Health Bureau spokesperson explained that probation would be scrapped because its ambiguity left the public uncertain whether it constituted real punishment. The inquiry panel would remain part of the Medical Council, with the government citing the necessity of medical members’ involvement in the professional regulatory body. However, increasing lay member representation is intended to promote greater independence in the process.

Medical sector legislator Dr David Lam Tzit-yuen praised the clearer and more stringent penalty categories, noting that probation had previously allowed doctors to continue practising despite infractions. Patient advocacy group Patients’ Voices chairman Alex Lam Chi-yau agreed that eliminating probation would hold doctors financially accountable and encourage more cautious professional conduct.