Hong Kong doctors overseas return to work in public hospitals, wooed by better pay, training opportunities

He is one of 71 overseas-trained doctors recruited by the authority to work in Hong Kong under a special registration scheme.

To tackle a worsening staffing crisis, the government announced in October 2021 that it would allow graduates from non-local medical schools to practice in Hong Kong without having to take a licensing examination.

As of 30 June, nearly 100 overseas medical schools in Australia, mainland China, the UK and the US are recognised under the scheme.

Those recruited so far are overseas Hongkongers and foreigners prepared to work in Hong Kong’s public hospitals.

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Fung Hoi-yin, 30, now a resident in family medicine and primary healthcare, returned to Hong Kong and joined the Hospital Authority in May, after nine years in the UK.

“I felt it was about time to come home after so many years abroad, and this scheme gave me the chance to receive specialist training,” she said.

“Frankly, the salary and benefits in Hong Kong are much better than in the UK, especially with the rising cost of living there.”

Non-locally trained residents are paid between HK$75,889 and HK$151,234 (US$9,700 to US$19,330) a month, the authority’s website said.

The annual starting pay for a resident in the UK’s National Health Service is £43,932 (US$53,485), or HK$34,871 a month.

Other benefits for the recruits in Hong Kong include a relocation allowance of HK$60,000, up to 5 per cent rent subsidy for housing and specialist training opportunities.

Fung and Chun said they had no trouble communicating with patients, but sometimes stumbled over translating medical terms.

“In Hong Kong, the working pace and workload are higher than in the UK. Working hours are also longer, but I still find them manageable,” Fung said.

Chun agreed and said the busier pace was a good opportunity to gain experience.

Gladys Kwan Wai-mun, a chief manager at the authority, said it hoped to attract more doctors with the simplified licensing scheme.

“We have attractive salaries and benefits, and can act as a stepping stone for them given Hong Kong’s strategic location for international collaboration and reputation for research,” she said.

She added that the city’s hospitals faced the most serious staffing problems in internal medicine, surgery, anaesthesia and radiology.

The authority made 130 offers to new hires from the UK, Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the US and Canada between April and September.

“Still, the hiring process takes up to six months as they have to finish up their previous job, or their final semester at school, and relocate,” she said.

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Kwan said that the recruitment drives in the UK in April and Australia in June had generated a better turnout than expected, and the authority would continue holding such events to encourage Hongkongers overseas to return.

“Whether you are a medical student, an intern or already a specialist, we welcome all of you,” she added.

The authority by late April had hired 528 new doctors, but lost 449 over the previous 12 months, a net increase of just 79. It also recorded a net loss of 450 nurses over the same period.

The government grant for the authority, which manages all public hospitals, has increased by nearly 48 per cent over the last five years to HK$90.9 billion for 2023-24.