HONG KONG – The Hospital Authority welcomed the Legislative Council's decision on Wednesday to pass a bill allowing non-locally trained nurses to work in Hong Kong.

The LegCo passed the Nurses Registration (Amendment) Bill 2023 which opens up new pathways for admitting eligible non-locally trained nurses to practice in the city to address a shortage in the public healthcare system and the social welfare sector.

"The amended bill will help the HA to expand the source of nursing manpower supply so as to maintain the sustainability of public healthcare services,” an HA spokesperson said in a statement.

The HA spokesperson emphasized that locally trained healthcare professionals remain the cornerstone of the city’s public healthcare service

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Hong Kong’s public healthcare sector has been facing a brain drain over the years, with the attrition rates of registered nurses and enrolled nurses reaching 11.2 percent and 14.8 percent respectively in the Department of Health, and 9.1 percent and 12.8 percent respectively in the HA for 2021 and 2022.

In 2020, the University of Hong Kong projected that the gap in general nurses in the HA would reach 3,020 in 2030 and 4,480 in 2040.

"The HA is planning to visit various countries and regions, including Singapore this month and Malaysia in August, to promote this new policy and introduce development opportunities in our public hospitals in order to attract eligible non-locally trained nurses to practice in Hong Kong,” the spokesperson said.

“The HA will have dedicated staff to provide one-stop support and counselling services to interested applicants, including offering employment information, following up on enquiries and handling related applications," the spokesperson added.

The HA said it has also been encouraging professional exchanges between local nurses and their counterparts worldwide, including the Greater Bay Area Specialty Nursing Knowledge-exchange Programme launched earlier.

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The spokesperson emphasized that locally trained healthcare professionals remain the cornerstone of the city’s public healthcare service.

The HA will continue to prioritize the recruitment of suitable locally trained nurses, while also adopting various human resource initiatives, including enhancing their professional development, the spokesperson added.