Guidelines and Information for Medical Practitioners

Quotable Appointments

The Medical Council has implemented the "Rules on Quotable Appointments" ("QA Rules") since 1 December 2014. On the recommendation of its Education and Accreditation Committee, the Medical Council has decided to revise the “Rules on Quotable Appointments” (“QA Rules”) to cover private healthcare facilities licensed under the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (Chapter 633, Laws of Hong Kong)¹. The revised QA Rules has taken effect from 1 January 2021 and the implementation details have been promulgated in the Council's Newsletter Issue No. 27 of December 2020.

The revised QA Rules provide for:-

Quotable Appointments

1. Currently held substantive appointments made by -
   • the Department of Health,
   • the Hospital Authority,
   • The Chinese University of Hong Kong,
   • the University of Hong Kong,
   • private healthcare facilities licensed with the Department of Health under the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (Cap. 633) and medical clinics registered with the Department of Health under the Medical Clinics Ordinance (Cap. 343), whose appointment systems have been confirmed by the Medical Council as acceptable (the list of accepted appointments of such institutions is published in the Council's website).
2. Currently held “Chief Medical Executive” appointment of private healthcare facilities licensed with the Department of Health under the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (Cap.633).
3. Currently held honorary appointments made for the purpose of teaching, research or clinical work in Western medicine by -
   • the medical faculty of The Chinese University of Hong Kong,
   • the medical faculty of the University of Hong Kong.
4. Currently held honorary appointments related to clinical work in Western medicine by -
   • the Hospital Authority,
   • the Department of Health,
   • private healthcare facilities licensed with the Department of Health under the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (Cap. 633) and medical clinics registered with the Department of Health under the Medical Clinics Ordinance (Cap. 343), whose appointment systems have been confirmed by the Medical Council as acceptable.

Format of Quoted Appointment

• Quoted appointment must be in the actual and full title (e.g. "Honorary Professor" not to be quoted as "Professor").
• Quoted appointment must not be abbreviated misleadingly (e.g. "Assistant Professor" not to be quoted as "Professor").

Non-quotable Appointments

• Appointments made by -
  • institutions/organizations outside Hong Kong,
  • other institutions.
• Previous appointments no longer held.

The purpose of the QA Rules is to ensure that patients and the public will be protected from misleading information which may improperly influence their choice of doctors for consultation. They should be read in conjunction with section 5 "Professional communication and information dissemination" of the Code of Professional Conduct.

Confirmation of Acceptability of Appointment Systems of Private Healthcare Facilities and Medical Clinics

Paragraph 2(c) of the QA Rules provides that a private healthcare facility and a medical clinic has to satisfy the Medical Council that it has an established and objective system of offering appointments which is acceptable to the Council before its appointments can be quoted by doctors in their medical practice. Application for such confirmation by the Council should be made in accordance with the "Guidelines on Quotability of Appointments by Private Healthcare Facilities and Medical Clinics" using the designated application form.

List of Quotable Appointments by Private Healthcare Facilities and Medical Clinics accepted under the QA Rules

For the private healthcare facilities and medical clinics whose appointment systems are accepted by the Medical Council under the revised QA Rules, the Medical Council will include their appointments which are accepted as quotable in the "List of Quotable Appointments by Private Healthcare Facilities and Medical Clinics accepted under the Rules on Quotable Appointments" ("QA List") published on the Council's website. Individual doctors can quote the appointments included in the QA List for the purpose of professional practice in Hong Kong.

If there are any subsequent additions of appointments, or changes of titles of or criteria for the quotable appointments, the private healthcare facility or medical clinic concerned has to apply to the Council for quotability of such appointments before they could be quoted by individual doctors with such appointments. Application can be made in September every year.

The QA List will be updated from time to time. Members of the profession are advised to check the quotability of any appointments made by the private healthcare facilities and medical clinics before quoting them for the purpose of professional practice in Hong Kong.

Quoting of Appointments made by Different Institutions

A doctor is allowed to quote his/her appointments made by different institutions at the same time in his/her professional practice, say in the same visiting cards or stationeries, as long as the appointments are approved by the Council to be quotable and that the names of the institutions which offer the appointments are specified.

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¹ The Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance, which was passed and gazetted in November 2018, provides for a new regulatory regime for private healthcare facilities, including hospitals, day procedure centres, clinics and health services establishments. The Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Maternity Homes Registration Ordinance (Cap. 165) was repealed on 1 January 2021, and the Medical Clinics Ordinance (Cap. 343) will be repealed at a later stage.