'Local nurses form core of public healthcare system'

Locally trained nurses make up the majority of the public healthcare system in Hong Kong, with 99.8 percent of Hospital Authority (HA) caregivers being trained within the city, the government announced on Tuesday to address concerns about manpower planning and job opportunities within the sector. The government revealed there are still around 3,200 nursing vacancies in public hospitals, and about 99 percent of applicants who completed the recruitment process were offered positions, indicating a continued demand for qualified nurses.

A recent recruitment drive in June attracted approximately 3,000 applications, of which 2,200 were accepted.

Chief nurse manager Danny Tong clarified that the HA never intended to hire all nursing graduates in Hong Kong, as the supply of graduates is intended to serve the healthcare needs of the entire territory, including private hospitals and elderly care homes. Not all graduates have historically applied for positions with the HA, which the government attributes to the availability of other opportunities in society.

The government also pointed out that a private hospital faced a shortage of nursing staff over the past year, receiving only 25 applications for 40 vacancies.

To clarify the newly created Health and Care Practitioner rank in the welfare sector, the government emphasized that these practitioners are distinct from enrolled nurses due to their different training objectives and scopes of practice. The government pledged to continue strengthening manpower training, particularly in primary healthcare, as rising demand for nursing services results from Hong Kong's aging population.