Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority reports that accident and emergency department waiting times have improved after new medical fee reforms, according to recent official data. The 18 A&E departments managed by the authority recorded 913,248 attendances in the first half of 2026, a drop of 3.9% from the same period last year. The authority attributes this reduction, alongside faster service speeds, to the revised charging mechanism which now fully exempts critical and emergency cases from fees.
Targeted fee waivers and faster response
The proportion of urgent patients treated within the service target of 30 minutes increased from 81.4% to 88.5% over the past year. Their average waiting time declined from 23 to 20 minutes. The data shows attendances involving semi-urgent and non-urgent cases fell by about 10%, with non-urgent cases declining approximately 20%. The authority stated these figures indicated that the reforms had reduced unnecessary A&E use whilst protecting access for patients requiring urgent care.
The reforms have expanded financial protection for patients. The authority received 289,799 medical fee-waiver applications as of 30 June and approved 264,087, representing an approval rate of more than 90%. The number of approvals was nearly 19 times the approximately 14,000 patients who received fee waivers during the full year before the changes. An annual cap of $10,000 was also introduced on eligible patient spending. The 10,595 patients approved under this scheme will have further eligible medical fees waived for the remainder of the financial year.
Related: Medtech firms adapt to changing product cycles
Financial assistance also increased following the changes. The authority added 16 drugs to its formulary during the first six months, including seven targeted cancer treatments. Six of the medicines were included in the Special Drugs category. Eligible patients receiving these drugs under specified clinical conditions pay a standard fee of $20 every four weeks. Financial assessment criteria for Samaritan Fund assistance were also relaxed to extend support to more critically ill patients, including those from middle-income households. Compared with the first half of 2025, approved Samaritan Fund subsidies for drugs rose 22% to $1.28b. Subsidies for non-drug items, including medical devices, increased 10% to $220m.
Looking ahead at implementation
Officials said the initial data showed the reforms were operating as intended and would inform the next phase of implementation. The authority will continue to monitor the impact of these changes on service delivery and patient access to care. While the immediate data suggests a positive shift in departmental performance, maintaining this balance between financial sustainability and patient support remains a complex challenge for public health systems.