Kowloon Central Cluster (KCC)

The Kowloon Central Cluster (KCC) serves an estimated population of 0.5 million covering the Yau Tsim and Kowloon City districts. The Cluster comprises six hospitals and institutions and six satellite institutions.

The six hospitals and institutions are Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital (HKBH), Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Services, Hong Kong Eye Hospital (HKEH), Kowloon Hospital (KH) and Rehabaid Centre. The Cluster provides a full range of ambulatory, acute, convalescent, rehabilitation and extended care services to the public.

The Cluster launched a new set of vision, mission and values (VMV) in October 2007 and formally re-launched it in 2012. With a vision to pursue excellence in health services – in life we share, in health we care and in excellence we fare – KCC emphasised on the RESPECT values (Respect, Empathy, Sharing, Professionalism, Efficiency, Creativity, and Trust). The Cluster mission statements are:

• We deliver quality health service to our clients.
• We partner with the community to provide holistic care.
• We train healthcare professionals to pursue excellence.
• We promote learning culture, research and innovations.

Key Achievements

In 2011-12, the Cluster implemented many initiatives to facilitate the provision of right care for the right patient at the right place. To implement planned responses to growing service demand, one coronary intensive care bed was added in November 2011. 42 additional percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures were performed by extending service hours. An integrated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management programme was introduced in QEH to serve patients of COPD Review Clinics. With a new blood donor centre opened in Yuen Long in August 2011, more than 10,000 units of blood were collected in 2011-12.

Building on the core values of RESPECT, KCC has earmarked three consecutive years since 2008-09 as Years of Safety with a specific theme each year – patient safety, staff safety and quality. The wisdom on quality and safety crystallised during the Years of Safety were consolidated in 2011 at the KCC Convention 2011 themed Quality • Our Way. The KCC WISER Movement received Bronze Prize and RECRUIT Most Innovative Award of the Hong Kong Management Association Award for Excellence in Training & Development 2011.

To continuously improve service quality and safety, early recruitment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis for protocol-based management and monitoring was rolled out at the nurse clinics in QEH. Molecular diagnostic tests for congenital error of metabolism and other genetic conditions were delivered. Hong Kong Eye Hospital collected additional good grading pre-cut corneas for Descement’s Stripping Automated Endothelial Karatoplasty (DSAEK) cornea transplant.

To keep modernising HA, materno-fetal medicine was developed to deliver prenatal three-dimensional ultrasound examinations at the Multiple Pregnancy Clinic of QEH. The Simulation and Skill Training Centre in QEH was established to enhance the skills, teamwork and communication of over 5,000 healthcare professionals in the Cluster. The new minimally invasive Trans-catheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) procedure was pioneered in QEH for patients who have symptomatic severe aortic stenosis bearing very high risks of undergoing open heart surgery.

In building People First culture, a music video dubbed “Our Pride ‬我的驕傲” was produced to promote KCC’s vision, mission and values. People-centred care was further enhanced with the establishment of a Telephone Service Centre providing timely enquiry service and appointment booking in the Ambulatory Care Centre of QEH. The centre received over 56,900 direct telephone enquiries during the year.

To maintain financial sustainability, the enhancement of clinical coding on completeness, accuracy and grouping standards was completed in QEH.