Hong Kong could be short of 6,000 healthcare workers across its public and private sectors in 10 to 15 years, Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said at a Legislative Council discussion on Monday. He said the estimate came from a manpower projection conducted every three years.
The projection found shortages of both doctors and nurses, Lo said. He rejected the suggestion that doctors were in short supply while there were too many nurses, saying neither profession currently had a surplus. He also said nursing vacancies at the Hospital Authority exceeded 10%.
The remarks came as the Panel on Welfare Services discussed responses to an ageing society. Legislator Chan Wing-kwong raised concern that the number of nurses had increased substantially over the past decade, raising the prospect of a surplus, and called for a review of whether nursing training places should be adjusted.
Lo said nursing training places had been increased to ensure an adequate supply. He also reported that nurse turnover had fallen from a peak of more than 10% to 5.4%, which he credited to measures to retain staff.