​     The Health Bureau (HHB) today (December 30) encouraged dentists who wish to participate in government-subsidised primary healthcare programmes to enlist in the Primary Care Directory (PCD) and join eHealth as soon as possible to provide their patients with subsidised services under the relevant programmes.

     To further implement the policy direction set out in the Primary Healthcare Blueprint and enhance the quality of services, starting from January 2, 2025, dentists participating in government-subsidised primary healthcare programmes such as the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme (EHVS) and the Primary Dental Co-care Pilot Scheme for Adolescents, to be launched in the first quarter of 2025, must have been enlisted in the PCD. Moreover, from the same day onwards, all dentists enlisted in the PCD must also join eHealth.

     A two-month grace period up to February 28, 2025, will be put in place for the implementation of the new requirements. Those dentists currently participating in the EHVS but are yet to be enlisted in the PCD by the end of the two-month grace period will no longer be able to offer their patients subsidised services under the scheme. Members of the public are advised to enquire with their dentists or check online to confirm if their dentists have been enlisted in the PCD to ensure that they can continue to receive relevant subsidised services through the same dentist in the future. 

     As recommended in the Blueprint, all healthcare professionals providing primary healthcare services are required to be enlisted in the PCD to ensure that they receive continuing medical education or take part in continuing professional development programmes relevant to their disciplines, thus enhancing the quality assurance of primary healthcare services. At present, the relevant requirement is applicable to doctors participating in government-subsidised primary healthcare programmes, and will be extended to cover dentists starting from January 2, 2025. In addition, the Blueprint also recommended that all primary healthcare service providers must use eHealth to improve data connectivity and health surveillance, and facilitate care co-ordination and cross-sector collaboration, with a view to strengthening the quality and continuity of medical services. To this end, under the new requirement, all dentists enlisted in the PCD must join eHealth to implement the recommendation of the Blueprint.

     To minimise the impact on the citizens enjoying the subsidised services concerned, the HHB has been keeping close communication with the dental profession through different channels since June this year to enable them to get a grasp of the new requirement details in a timely manner and assist them in enlisting in the PCD and/or joining eHealth as necessary. A two-month grace period will also be provided to allow sufficient time for dentists to complete the enlistment procedures. 

     Members of the public may visit the website of the PCD at apps.pcdirectory.gov.hk/public/EN to check whether their dentists are enlisted, apart from approaching their dentists directly.

     The PCD is a web-based database of practice information and professional qualifications of primary healthcare service providers in the community. It enables members of the public to look for service providers' information such as their practice addresses, telephone numbers, consultation hours, service provisions as well as their participation in various government-subsidised programmes before choosing a doctor, dentist or Chinese medicine practitioner according to their personal needs.

     As at the end of November this year, a total of 1 049 dentists were enlisted in the PCD. The Government encourages all dentists who provide primary healthcare services to enlist in the PCD to offer citizens co-ordinated and person-centred primary healthcare services in a comprehensive and continuous manner.

Ends/Monday, December 30, 2024
Issued at HKT 13:00

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